Love, Dreams, and Unexpected Things
by Momoka Ribbon
Summary: Waffle Island is the perfect island. So Angela and Molly decide to move there to fulfill their dreams of opening a flower shop and running a ranch-but they didn't expect love to meet them there. Molly/Chase Angela/Luke and a little Kevin/Maya.
1. Boat Rides

**Hello, I'm Momoka Ribbon! This is my first story ever, so please tell me what you think. Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon  
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><p>Angela P.O.V<p>

It was a beautiful spring day. the bright light from the sun danced on the waves and the ocean spray that flung into my face as well as my sister Molly's. I closed my eyes, content, taking in the feel of the rays on my skin.

"Enjoying the ride?" Molly asked in her quiet, gentle voice. I nodded.

"Mmm-hmm..." She chuckled lightly in response.

Molly and I were headed out to live on Waffle Island to start our dreams. I was starting up a ranch while my sister wanted to open a flower shop. We both finally had enough money saved up to buy supplies, food, etc., and since our older brother Kevin was already settled there he and his family had promised to help us if we needed it. It had actually been about a year before when he had suggested it...

_*Flashback*_

_"HEY GUYS!" Kevin yelled, engulfing me and Molly into a bear hug as we laughed._

_"Can't- breathe- Kev!" I gasped out, Molly giggling her head off next to me._

_"Oh, sorry," he said, grinning cheekily as he let us go and ran a hand through his brown hair._

_"ANGIE! MOLLY!" Kevin's wife, Maya, rushed us through the door to embrace us. She was a sweet girl with shining blue eyes and red gold hair. She was kind of immature, but she had a good heart._

_With her was my niece Emily, or Emi for short. She was three years old then, with Maya's round curious eyes, Kevin's chocolate brown hair up in pigtails and a smile that could give you a toothache._

_"Aunt Angewa! Aunt Mowwy!" she exclaimed, running to us on her clumsy toddler feet._

_"Hey squirt!" I had said, giving her a hug. Molly then picked her up and brought her to the table where we were all in the midst of gathering around, chatting. Suddenly, however, Kevin changed the subject._

_"So, you two still want to open that shop and ranch?"_

_"Yes," Molly said. "Why?_

_He smiled. "Well, there are these two lots of land the mayor is offering free to anyone who wants to move in back home-"_

_"Wait, WHAT?" I shouted, then blushed at my embarrassing outburst "F-For free?"_

_"Yeah," Kevin smirked. "Completely free. Except-"_

_"A catch?" I glared. Kevin gulped._

_"It's not bad! " Maya cut in quickly. "You just have to help out at businesses around town for the first year! Just volunteer work!"_

_"Oh, well if it's only that..." Molly trailed off._

_"When should we call?" I inquired._

_"Right now!" Maya said, hopping up from her chair to bring the phone to me, the number already dialed._

_*End Flashback*_

To think, it was finally happening! The thought caused a grin to spread across my face, as easily as butter is spread on bread.

"Hey there!" a voice shouted. Molly and I turned around to see an elderly man with a white sideburns, blue coat, and friendly eyes. He walker over to us, his coat billowing in the wind.

"Hey there! I'm the ship's captain, Pascal!"

"Oh, hello," Molly said. "I'm Molly, and this is my sister Angela."

"Hello!" I said, bowing slightly. He laughed, which was a great big guffaw.

"So polite! Not much of that around these days," he said, still chuckling to himself. "Are you two enjoying your passage?"

"You bet! This is amazing!" I exclaimed. Seeing as this was my first boat ride, I was stoked.

"We've never been on a boat ride before, so we're both enjoying this very much," Molly added softly.

"Never been on a boat? That's like never eating a cookie while it's still hot from an oven! Where you girls from?"

"We're from the city," I said. "There weren't many places to go boating, and plus our mom has a fear of boats."

"Ahhh, I see! The city, eh? It's a nice place, but not as nice as Waffle Island!" Pascal said. This excited me, making me grin even wider, while Molly offered a small smile.

"I hope you don't mind me asking this misses, but are you twins? You look very similar."

"Oh, no," Molly said, shaking her head. "We aren't twins. I'm a year older than Angela."

"Really? Must be a strong family resemblance then. When were you two born?"

"I was born Spring 18th," Molly said.

"And I was born on Summer 12th!" I told Pascal.

"Ah, really? How old are you girls?"

"I'm 22, and Angela's 21," Molly stated.

"Really? How wonderful to be young again!" Pascal said with another hearty laugh.

"You know, I could really go for a nice grilled fish!" he exclaimed suddenly, changing the subject. I made a face.

"Ugh, I can't stand fish," I said. Pascal looked at me as if I belonged in a mental institution.

"They're just so… gross. I don't know why, but I just hate the taste of 'em. Guess I'm more of a veggie gal," I stated, shrugging.

"Well, guess everyone has their opinions," the old man said. "What about you, Miss Molly?"

"Oh, me?" Molly asked. "Well, I've never really liked egg dishes or dairy products from a goat. However, I just can't resist a sweet dish like cake, or anything savory like pizza…"

"Hmm," Pascal replied. "I see. Well, you girls won't have to worry about going hungry cause all the food on the island is great! And if you're ever short on money for food you can always pay people back later."

"Oh, well that's quite conv-OH MY GOSH! Angela, look! It's the island!" Molly exclaimed.

I looked where Molly's face was pointed, and gasped. There, right in the middle of the ocean, was Waffle Island. It rose out of the ocean like a turtle shell, and was as green as perfect spinach. I could see the summit of a snow-capped mountain, peeking out from the greenery like a child peeks from their hiding spot in hide-and-go-seek.

"It's so… beautiful!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, it really is… imagine how it actually is on the island itself…" Molly said dreamily. The thought excited me. _It must have cute little houses_. I thought. _With different colored roofs, and lots of flowers all around, and wildlife too!_ The thought of cute squirrels and other various animals made me smile.

"Pascal, when will we be arriving?" Molly asked politely.

"About a half an hour," Pascal answered. I groaned. _This is going to be the longest half hour of my life…._

~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~

To my surprise, it wasn't. I had a lot of fun chatting with Pascal (even though he came off a little weird to me), and talking to Molly about how we hoped things would be. Before I knew it, we were docking the boat!

As soon as Pascal said it was safe to leave the boat, I grabbed my suitcases and scurried off the boat and the dock like they were on fire. I didn't pause until I had stepped foot on the concrete cement of my new home.

Waffle Island.


	2. Arriving and a Grumpy Chef

**Hello again everyone! :) I'd just like to add some more things that I wasn't able to do (or forgot to add) in the summary and/or last chapter's note.**

***The couples for this story are Angela x Luke, Molly x Chase (both were in the summary), and obviously Maya x Kevin. I didn't want to leave Maya as an old maid, because even though I love Chase, I still love Maya. She's very nice. Selena.. eh. She has a good fire, but she irks me the most and shall therefore be alone. Least for now. -shrugs- All other rival couples shall be together, eventually. **

***Sorry about the title and summary. I had a hard time thinking of a title, and since the summary has a limit to the amount of characters you use I couldn't properly summarize. :p**

***I'll accept any reviews, good or bad. I'll take them all into consideration. **

***The story will be mainly in Angela's point of view. So unless it says otherwise, assume it's Angela.  
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**Anyway, that's about it! :D Please enjoy Chapter Two!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.  
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><p>I was dumfounded by what I found waiting for me. So many new sights, sounds, smells- they were all so fascinating! <em>I'll never get tired of living here,<em> I thought. I heard footsteps behind me, but was too preoccupied to turn and see who it was.

It was Molly. "Wow," she breathed. I nodded in agreement.

The dock was placed right by the town. It was exactly as I imagined, and more than I was hoping for. The buildings were all different colors and each had a distinct style, that I'm guessing reflected the owner and their likes. Pathways slithered through the town, worn away by years of moving feet. Flowers sprouted here and there, bright and cheery. As I was taking in my surroundings, I noticed a plump, powder blue clad man making his way toward me and Molly.

"Hello!" he exclaimed. "I'm Mayor Hamilton! You may call me Hamilton! Are you our new residents?" Molly and I nodded. "Joyous day!" he exclaimed yet again.

"Um, hello there," Molly said. He gave her a toothy grin.

"You must be Molly!" he said, looking at my sister. "And you must be Angela! I can tell by the why you hold yourselves and talk- Angela was the boisterous one, I remember, and Molly the polite quiet one!"

I exchanged a glance with Molly. _Creeper,_ I thought.

"Yeah, uh, that's correct sir," I said

"Call me Hamilton!" he said happily! "And let me give you a tour of the town, and show you where you'll be staying!"

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" I exclaimed.

Hamilton then proceeded to show us where certain stores and places were. I discovered in town there was a tailor shop, clinic, town hall, an inn, and a general store. South of the town was Cream Beach, and right outside of it were the housing districts, Maple Lake and Caramel River. In Maple Lake District the church resided, and nearby was the Ganache Mine District and the Brownie Ranch District. He told us we could buy seeds at Souffle Farm in the Ganache Mine area, and animals at Brownie Ranch in the Brownie Ranch area (what a surprise..). He also informed us our homes would be built in the Caramel River District, where our brother lived. And with that, he sent us to the Sundae Inn to check ourselves into the hotel.

"Hello there," a woman said. "How may I help you?"

"Hi, we're the new residents. Mayor Hamilton said he arranged for us to stay here until our houses are built..." I said, ending rather awkwardly.

"Oh! You must be Angela and Molly! I'm Colleen, Maya's mother. I run the inn with my husband Jake."

"You're Maya's mother?" I asked. She didn't look very old- maybe 35 at the most? But I guess looks aren't an accurate representation of age. She had bright hair like Maya's, and tranquil lavender eyes. She wore a green gown and a pleasant smile.

"Yes! Pleased to meet you," she said, bowing.

"We're very pleased to meet you too," Molly said, bowing also.

"Anyway, here are the keys to your room," she said. "I hope you enjoy your stay. Feel free to come down for food anytime- our cooks love to serve hungry customers!"

"Thank you," I said, and Molly and I rushed upstairs to drop off our things.

"What do you want to do sis?" My tummy grumbled in response.

"I dunno, eat?" We laughed, and headed back downstairs.

We sat ourselves at a table by the kitchen, and chatted lively until we heard a grumpy voice.

"Hey! You two! Yeah, you two with the grins, what do you want to order?" The speaker was a tall boy, about Molly's age with peach hair that went just about everywhere and violet eyes, like amethysts. I could see Molly blush out of my peripheral vision.

"Um... uh...I'll, uh have the um..." Molly stumbled over her words, desperate. The boy raised one peach eyebrow, irritated.

"We'll both have the tomato risotto!" I said quickly, saving the day. Molly gave me a grateful smile.

"Alright, if you say so," the ornery boy turned to the utensils and equipment in the kitchen and started to cook._ Guess he's one of the cooks Colleen mentioned. _I thought. _He doesn't seem like he enjoys serving hungry customers..._

"Hey, cook boy!" I shouted.

"Angela!" Molly whispered urgently. "What're you-"

The boy turned around, peeved. "Cook boy? What am I, a superhero?"

"Well, you didn't bother to tell us your name. I'm Angela and this is my sister Molly, by the way."

"I'm Chase," he grumbled. "You must be the newcomers."

"That's right..." Molly said, quietly. _Hmm, weird. I've never seen Molly so flustered..._

"Well, hope you enjoy your time at the inn," he said. "Cause you're gonna be working your tails off after your places are built." Chase walked over to our table and placed down two delectable looking bowls of tomato risotto. I took a bite, and my eyes nearly popped out of my skull! It was the best tomato risotto I had ever tasted!

"Oh my..." Molly said in awe. "I've never tasted anything so good... " Chase looked pleased with himself.

"Well, they wouldn't let me cook here if I wasn't a good cook now would they?" he replied. His cooking was so good, however, that Molly and I ended up obsessing over it the whole night, praising Chase like he was a cooking god. I kept thinking I saw a slight blush come to his face when my sister said something...

Honestly, by the end of the night, though, he seemed a little embarrassed. Wait, scratch that. REALLY embarrassed.

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><p><strong>There's Chapter 2! :) Hope everyone enjoys. I'd enjoy it if you would review for me. Please? :) Thank you!<strong>


	3. Quirky Carpenters

**Hey everybody! :D (Least I'm pretty sure it's more than one person reading this... I can't be certain, cause only one person is reviewing. /: Thank you by the way.) Anyway, here's Chapter Three- where as you may have guessed from the title, Luke comes in! -cheers- Hehe. Again, enjoy, and please review? I don't care if it's just one word- it'll still be ****appreciated just as much. :p**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.  
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><p>I woke up that morning with buttery sunshine streaming through a crack in between the curtains, making my tired eyes burn. I looked at a clock hanging near the door- it read 9:25. I glanced at Molly- still asleep, her soft snore audible. No surprise there. Molly was <em>not<em> a morning person, and at the earliest woke up around ten or eleven. Let's just say that when a tired Molly is woken up early, objects are usually hurled towards vital organs. _Better let her sleep.._ With that thought, I changed and headed downstairs.

To my surprise, the downstairs area was extremely lively, as if everyone had been up awhile. _Guess people really do wake up earlier in the country, huh?_ I thought to myself. I looked around- Jake (Colleen's husband) was flipping through a thin leather book, Yolanda (Jake's mom and the head chef) was cooking up breakfast, and Colleen herself was talking with a young man near the front door.

"Are you SURE you don't have any spinach dishes? Cause you guys ALWAYS have stuff with spinach!"

"Yes, Luke, I'm sure. In fact, we won't have any spinach dishes on stock until this Fall!" I could tell she was getting annoyed.

"But what happened to last year's supply?" "You ate it all Luke!"

I analyzed the boy- he had blue hair that ended somewhere around the lower part of his neck, a white t-shirt with the sleeves torn off, old blue jeans, a red vest, sturdy brown boots and a bandana with red orange flames curling about it. His eyes were a golden color, not unlike a cat's, except a little more... friendly, whereas cats have a kind of supernatural look to their eyes. His skin was tan, and his arms muscly in a lean, subtle way. For some reason, he wore a bandage across the bridge of his nose. He looked at me, smiled a little, and then walked over.

"Hi, I'm Luke! Are you one of the new girls that came to live here?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm Angela, but sometimes people call me Angie."

"Ok then, Angie," he said with a grin. I could feel my face blush a little.

"So, uh, what are you doing here at the inn?" I asked.

"Well, I came to get some food with spinach in it to pump me up so I could work on your house better, but they don't have anything..." He looked disappointed.

"Oh, that stinks... well, when Fall rolls around you'll be able to enjoy the spinach even more!" His face brightened.

"Yeah, you're right! The spinach is gonna taste even AWESOMER!"

Luke and I talked for the next hour after that. We talked about a lot of things- spinach, food, animals, and he even told me about some of the festivals. _He's a really nice guy _I thought. He wasn't only nice, but lots of other things too- funny, outgoing, chipper, sweet, and full of surprises.

Right when Luke and I were getting onto a different topic, Molly came downstairs, yawning. You could tell she had just woke up- hers eyes were droopy, and her hair still a little messy. She caught one look of me and Luke, then smiled her_ Ooooh, Angie's got a crush!_ smile. I rolled my eyes. Luke followed my gaze.

"Is that your sister?" he asked.

"Yep. Hey Molly, come over here!" She strolled over to where Luke and I sat.

"Hello there," she said. "I'm Molly, and you are?"

"Luke. Nice to meet ya!"

"Hmmm, Luke huh? Pleased to meet you. What were you and my sister talking about just a second ago?" I gave her a confused look. _Where is she going with this...?_

"Oh, we were talking about some of the festivals we have every year! I was telling her about how the Flower Festival is coming up, and I was about to- uh, oh wait, never mind..." he trailed off, cheeks slightly ablaze.

"What is it Luke?"

"Yeah Luke, what was it you were gonna ask Angie?" He looked at me, embarrassed.

"Well, uh, I was thinking since you don't know much about the Flower Festival I could, uh, ya know, take you! To show you how it works and stuff..." _Oh..._ I could feel my cheeks heat a little. Luke and I had just met, but we were really hitting it off. _Should I?_ I looked at Molly. She was smiling at me. It might surprise some people, since she was usually very quiet and polite, but Molly could be very... for lack of a better word, pushy. It wasn't that she was bossing people around all the time- it was just that when she saw a situation that seemed to be at a kind of deadlock she pushed it into action. She never meant harm, but sometimes it didn't end as planned...

"So um, Angie? Do you wanna go with me? I mean, it's alright if you don't, cause I know you might busy working or-"

"Luke," I said, cutting him off. "I'd love to go."

"Really?" His eyes lit up like a kid's on Christmas day. "AWESOME! Ok, I'll talk to you about it later! I gotta go help Pops finish your places- they should be done by tomorrow!" With that, he ran out of the door, his goofy smile still plastered to his face.

"Well," Molly said. "That went well."

"Is it ok? I mean, cause then you'll be alone an-"

"Ang, stop right there. I'll be fine. I still could possibly find someone to go with- and if not, I'll get some good business! So don't worry about it, ok?" I smiled a little, relieved.

"Alright, sis."

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><p><strong>There's chapter 3! :D Hope you all enjoyed. Now remember, please review if you like it or you don't. If you like it, then tell me what I'm doing that's good! Or just tell me you do... either one. Or subscribe or something. Anything to let me know. But if you don't, I'd enjoy it if you told me what I'm doing to make you dislike my story. :p If there's something for me to improve on I wanna be aware of it. <strong>**Anyway, thank you!**


	4. Houses and Cows

**Hey everyone! :D I just wanna say thank you to those who have reviewed, subscribed and/or favorited. :D You don't know how much I appreciate it. :3 It made my day to see my story had favorited and subscribed by people. Thank you to everyone else out there reading, even if I'm unaware of the fact. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon. Or the Little Debbie dessert company. (Haha, you'll find out why I said that in this chapter..)  
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><p><strong><strong> "Molly, Angela, Mayor Hamilton's here. He said your houses are ready," Jake's voice said from our hotel room's phone.

My sister and I practically jumped up from our messy beds in excitement. I accidentally left the phone hanging by it's cord as I rushed to gather my things, as did Molly. It was the day after Luke had asked me to the Flower Festival, and she and I had been getting really, and I mean REALLY bored of sitting around with nothing to do. We were so excited to get going on our businesses, but all we could do was wait around. When we finally had all of our things, we rushed down the halls and hustled down the wooden stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Ah, Molly, Angela, good to see you two young ladies!" Mayor Hamilton said, greeting us jovially.

"It's good to see you also, Mayor Hamilton," Molly said, a little smile playing on her face.

"Didn't I tell you two to call me Hamilton?"

"Sorry, _Hamilton_, Molly's just really polite and we're both REALLY excited!" I said, trying to urge him to get on with it.

"Ahh, I understand completely! If you would follow me please?" We then scurried out the door, with a wave goodbye to all the people at the inn. Mayor Hamilton waddled down the road chatting merrily to Molly and I as he did.

"So, Angela requested the hilltop plot and Molly requested the town plot correct?"

"Yes!" Molly exclaimed. She had chosen the town plot so her flower shop wouldn't be far from town. She didn't want people to walk ghastly distances just to buy flowers and perfumes- I mean, who would? I, on the other hand, had chosen the hilltop plot because I figured all my ranch animals would like being higher up, so they could take sunbaths all day. Just the thought of happy little cows mooing away put a skip in my step.

We went to Molly's shop first, since it was closest. It was gorgeous- it had a bright green roof the color of summer grass, and lots of windows with white paneling. The door was glass, and the walls were a creamy white color. I could the inside of the front room (which was to be the shop part of the house) had peach colored walls, and lots of shelves to stock merchandise. _Luke and the rest of the carpenters did a fantastic job. I hope my house is this nice! _

"It's... beautiful..." Molly choked out, awestruck.

"I'm glad you like it!" Hamilton voiced. Molly strolled up the walkway to the door, and turned to wave me goodbye before heading inside.

"Alright, now it's your turn Angela!" The mayor started to walk down a dirt pathway surrounded by fields of grass swaying in the wind. The sun was still rising, since it was about mid morning. Birds chirped at me as I passed them in their nests, ignoring whatever Hamilton was spewing out of his mouth. He was a nice man, but I still think he was a little creepy and he yaked more than any normal person should be able to without losing their voice. Finally, after climbing up a little hill, my ranch house came in sight.

It was small, but in a cozy, comfortable way. It had creamy white walls like Molly's shop did, but my house had a bright red roof and a wooden door. The windows had cute little shutters on them, adding to the cozy effect. Right next to it was my barn and coop- both were a silvery white with blue accents. A field laid in front of their doors, and my pasture after that with it's bright picket fences surrounding the corners. In the distance was a beautiful view- a gurgling river who's clear shining water rushed over the dark rocks on the riverbed, tall leafy trees with branches bending in the breeze, and a tall gray mountain that reached for the clouds, towering over everything else. The sight left my breathless.

"Well, do you like it?" Hamilton inquired.

"Like...? No... I LOVE IT!" I said with a jump and a grin larger than any towering mountain. Hamilton clapped to show he was glad I liked it so much.

"Good, good! It'd be a problem if you didn't! Minor, yes, but still a problem! Now, your part-time work schedule should be by your calendar somewhere near your kitchen- don't forget to show up on time to all your jobs!"

"Yes sir!" I exclaimed, watching the mayor's back as he ambled down the road, back the way we came.

I turned around and pretty much ran into the house. I gasped at the inside of my new home.

The walls were a bright happy yellow, with the light blue curtains hanging on the windows contrasting against them. The inside was only one room, so everything was near each other. A wooden table sat center stage, a bright yellow tablecloth with blue trimming adorning it and matching chairs surrounding the edges. A bookshelf stood by the wall behind it, filled with many different hardcovers and magazines. A dresser was nearby, along with a night table with a diary. My kitchen was some blue counters, a stainless steel sink, a matching fridge, and white tile. A calendar was hanging on the wall, accompanied by some pieces of paper with different colored writing. My work schedule.

I walked over to it, taking a look. The first one was this season, Spring. Each week had a different business assigned to it. _How am I supposed to get anything done around here if I'm running around working for other people?_ I sighed. _Well, it's only for one year. And besides, if this wasn't part of the deal I probably wouldn_'_t_ _be here at all..._

I looked at the schedule, seeing what was this week's business assignment. My heart fell a little when I had read it- "Tailor Shop". I was hoping for it to read Carpentry. Sure, I didn't know how to do anything carpenters did, but Luke would be there, and I would rather do something _hard _ with someone I know than do something _easy_ with completestrangers. I decided to check the other papers to see when I _would_ get to work with Luke. Turns out, it was next season- Summer. The first week I was to work at the Carpentry._ Well, Summer's not that far away...__right?_ I tried to look at the bright side... it didn't work. I was too impatient. Accepting defeat, I decided to go cattle buying.

I figured a cow would be a good way to start off my ranch, since I already had a field, fodder, and everything else for a cow, so why not? Plus cows were pretty independent, so it would be fine lounging around outside or in the barn while I was off working, and cow milk could be made into lots of different products. It was settled. I was getting a cow.

I had to walk quite a ways to get to Brownie Ranch, the only place on the island where animals were sold. The whole time I enjoyed the scenery, but also brainstormed ideas for my cow's name. _What about... Moondrop, like the flower? Hmmm, I don't know. Belle, like for a cow bell? Or Suzu, since that means bell in Japanese doesn't it? Eh. Debbie, like those Little Debbie dessert snacks? ... No, then I'll always picture her with a little straw hat or something! Hey, that's actually a cute thought.. a cow with a straw hat, with a little red ribbon.. aww.._ Needless to say, my mind got really off track. However, despite my really weird thoughts, I got to Brownie Ranch and was greeted by a smiling girl that looked about my age- and also a lot like me.

"Hey there, I'm Renee! How can I help you?" she asked in a naturally peppy way.

"Hey, um, I came here to buy a cow? Or a calf, either one. I'm starting the new ranch over in the Caramel River District..."

"Oh! Say no more, I heard about you! I have the perfect baby calf for you- she's really sweet! Come on!" I followed Renee through a trail that went through a nice meadow. She lead me over a steep hill and then ushered me into a barn.

"She's right down at the end here, the little cutie, you'll just love her- here she is!" Renee exclaimed, proudly showcasing a beautiful little baby calf.

She had big brown eyes that would make anyone's heart melt. She had huge black and white splotches all over her, which reminded me of a jigsaw puzzle. Her muzzle was a light pink, and her hooves a dark ebony color. She looked at me, and mooed, almost as if she was greeting me... or telling me _Please take me home!_

"What do ya think?" Renee asked.

"I'll take her!" I exclaimed. The rancher girl next to me chuckled.

"I knew you'd like her. She is a beauty, huh?" I nodded.

"Here's the money for the calf-"

"-Oh no, I'm not letting you pay for this one." Renee shook her head as she said this, slightly frowning.

"But... Renee, I wouldn't-"

"Consider her a gift! Sides, this calf's priceless. Just promise to take good care of her, ok?" I smiled, big and bright.

"You can count on it Renee."

I lead my calf home back the way I came, holding her near me with a makeshift rope leash Renee lent me. It was a little too big for my calf's neck, but either she didn't know this or decided not to try to run away. When I got back, I put her in the barn since the sky was darkening. I put fodder in her food tray, and she mooed thankfully at me, then gobbled it up. I put in more, in case she got hungry for the night. As I left the barn, she mooed again at me. Her eyes plead _Don't leave me!_ It almost broke my heart to see such sad eyes on an innocent little baby cow.

"Don't worry sweetie, I'll be back tomorrow. Hopefully with a name for you. It'll be ok. Sweet dreams." I guess the soothing tone in my voice reassured my little cow, because she laid down and closed her eyes as if she was trying to drift into sleep. I left the barn, to go to my own bed. It was warm and cozy underneath the covers, and the moonlight of the full moon made my eyelids heavy. Of all the things though, it was the melody of the leaves rustling in the wind that lulled me to sleep.

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><p><strong>I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I made it longer than usual, as an apology for not updating sooner. I was having some bad writer's block -_- I knew where I wanted things to go after this chapter, but I couldn't figure out what to do <em>before<em> the others. I should be updating sooner now, since I know exactly what I want to take place in the next chapters. **

**But I still need some help. See, I don't know what to name Angela's cow. I know it seems like a little thing, but I want this cow to have a nice good name. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to tell me. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	5. A Day in the Life

**Hey there again everyone! :D Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, subscribed and such.** **Also, I wanna thank everyone who suggested a name for Angela's little cow :D There were some which were really good, but I decided to go with one of the suggestions made by missbabblingbrook21. Thank you, you actually did help a lot. :) ****Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!** **I felt the need to throw in a little KevinxMaya since they're so freaking cute together. Least in my opinion. Plus they haven't surfaced again since chapter 1! D: So for those who don't enjoy the KevinxMaya ship, you can skip this chapter if you want. It's not going to be a big part of the plot. I just promised some of this in the summary, and I figured now would be a good time to slide it in. Don't fret though! The next several chapters hold lots of ooey-gooey lovey-dovey stuff for Molly and Angela. :) It's gonna start getting really good plot wise. Thank you for bearing through my ridiculously long exposition. D: I hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

**(P.S Hahaha sorry my author's note is so long. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that I do a lot of jumping between times... even if it's just a couple days or so. I feel like I do that too much. Anyway, carry on!)  
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><p>Kevin P.O.V<p>

It was just another day in Maya and I's home. I had spent most of it harvesting produce from the trees in my orchard, and Maya had spent it playing with Emi and doing household things. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have such a good life- steady income, good health, a child who never stopped amazing me, my sisters who I had missed so much were here now, only a short walk away. And I also had the love of my life; Maya.

I still remember the day we met. It had been a beautiful day, in early Spring...

_~~~Flashback~~~~_

_I walked up steep stone stairs to the plaza in front of town hall. The seasonal flowers- this Spring, tulips,- swayed in the warm breeze slightly salty from the nearby sea. Immediately my eyes caught the sight of bright red gold hair, and a rosy pink dress. I saw it was a girl- she looked young because of how she dressed, but something nagged at me from inside that said she was older, around my age. I saw she held a plate of food in her hands, then promptly gobbled it up. I stared in amazement- she has eaten the whole meal in under a minute. Suddenly, the girl's bright blue eyes caught my dark chocolate ones, and she smiled. _

_"Hey there!" she has called. _

_"Oh, uh, hello there. I don't know if you know who I am. I'm the new resident- I'm taking care of the orchard over in the Caramel River District, the one by the ocean...?"_

_"Oh yeah! I heard about you! I'm Maya! And your name?" Maya. A beautiful name, and it fit the girl well._

_"I'm Kevin. It's nice to meet you."_

_"Same here! You're really lucky! You get to spend all day surrounded by pretty trees that give you yummy fruits! How nice!" My heart started to beat a little faster. This girl was different from all the others I had met in the city- she was sunny, and she understood my love for fruit trees. Nobody else had been able to relate to me back home, not even my sisters who had their passions that they were crazy about. Nobody else saw the appeal of spending all day in the shadows of trees. She did._

_"Oh! I better be going. My parents probably need me to help out back home- they own the Sundae Inn. Please come stop by sometime, alright?"_

_"I will!" She smiled, and frolicked off._

_~~~~End Flashback~~~~_

After that day Maya and I had gotten closer and closer. When I wasn't working in my orchard, I was hanging around the inn talking to Maya. Just seeing her lifted my spirits. Finally, one day I plucked up the nerve to propose. She had said yes (obviously), and we were wed on Winter 11th. This year would be our 5th anniversary, and they had been the best 5 years of my life.

"Darling, can you come inside a second? The mail came, and there are some letters for you!" Maya called me from the front porch. I did as she asked, and found two unopened envelopes on the kitchen table- one a light green color, the other a pastel orange.

"Who they from Daddy?" Emi asked me from her spot on the couch, where she watched a brightly colored cartoon. Usually she was outside roaming about, but right now she was waiting for lunch.

"Well, if I'm right, these are probably from your aunts Angie and Molly..." I turned the letters over- I was right.

I decided to open Molly's first, since she tried to keep things short and sweet- Angela, however, trailed on and on in her letters.

_Dear Kevin, Maya, and Emi,_

_Hey. It's me, Molly. I just wanted to inform you that my shop's finally finished. I would've called, but I still need to go out and get some more furniture for my place- including a telephone. I didn't want to drop by unexpectedly either, because I wouldn't want to inconvenience any of you. I'd like to see all of you as soon as possible, though, since it's been too long for my taste- especially now that the option to see each other frequently is available.m Write back to me soon okay? We can make plans then. _

_Love to all three of you,_

_Molly._

A typical Molly letter. Polite, and short.

"What did Aunt Mowwy say Daddy?"

"She said she loves us all very much, her place is built and she'd like to get together soon," I replied.

"Molly's shop is done? Oooh! I bet it's beautiful! Especially if they went exactly according to her plan, she showed me the blueprints at her place once when we..." Maya rambled on, excited. I chuckled- she did love cute things, and Molly's shop was supposed to have an adorable design she said. Next up was Angela's letter. I opened up the pastel orange one, and brought out a piece of paper with writing scribbled all over it- and a doodle- to read and view, in the doodle's case.

_Dear everyone,_

_Hiya! How have you all been? I've been good, my ranch is done! It's so cozy and cute! I absolutely love it! I even got a cow- she's the most adorable thing. I named her Opal. I thought it fit her well, since she's such a sweetie and very obedient too! And plus it was unique, and she's a different one. _Next to the mention of her cow, Angela had drawn a little cow, which was apparently supposed to be Opal.

_I'm really glad I decided to move here. Except I don't know if I'll be able to do much this year, since of that stupid work schedule and all. Oh well, I probably wouldn't have done much this year anyway! Maybe if I get a horse I'll be able to get more done, since I'll be able to run errands faster... I hope I can see you guys soon! I would've called, but I don't have a phone! Hahaha! :) Anyways, I really miss all of you, and I love you guys. Tell Emi that next time I see her she's getting a big hug! Write back to me soon, so we can plan a get together!_

_Love,_

_Angela :)_

Angela's letter was a lot like her too. Silly, full of babbling- and childish. I laughed quietly to myself, looking at Angela's attempt at a cow- let's just say, I've seen Emi draw better ones.

"What did Angie say Darling?" Maya asked from the kitchen.

"About the same as Molly. Her house is done, she wants to get together, blah blah blah. Only difference is she bought a cow."

"A cow? I wuv cows!" Emi hollered. Maya smiled gently, the smile only a mother's love could cause.

"So, when do you wanna see them? I think we're free the rest of the season, except for festival days..."

"Ummmm, well, I'm fine with any day! How about the 8th though? It's a Sunday, and that's usually the day people don't have much going on..."

"Alright, the 8th it is! I'll write them back now." I got two sheets of paper and two of all the other things to send a letter. I then sat down at the table and wrote them both a letter going along the lines of this, with some exceptions-

_Hey there,_

_It's Kevin here, your favorite big brother. I bet your place is amazing- we'll have to visit sometime. But for now, why don't you come over to our place on the 8th? Our sister will be there too hopefully, so it'll be like a big family reunion. Then we can all talk and spend the day together. Maybe we can go fishing or something later. Anyway, write back to me soon!_

_Love,_

_Kevin. (Maya and Emi too!)_

I read over the letters, satisfied, then sealed them in their envelopes. I put their stamps on, wrote the addresses, and put them in my rucksack so I would have them when I went to mail them at Town Hall. I looked over to the kitchen- only to see Maya doing something.

"Um... honey? What are you doing...?" I asked, a bit scared. She looked at me as if caught in the middle of a crime.

"Uh... nothing... I was just, um-" I quickly got up from my seat and almost ran to the kitchen- on the counter was a strange assortment of things. Turnips, mushrooms, a tin can, a fish that looked mutated, some purple herbs, a bag of fertilizer, and some breadfruit.

"Maya... are you trying to cook again?"

"Maybe... I was trying to make a new recipe. I thought turnips, mushrooms, fish, and purple herbs would go well together, and the fertilizer to make the herbs and turnips better, and I thought why not make it into bread! But then I thought of using a tin can to keep it fresh and... well... yeah.." She tried to explain, getting even more depressed about her cooking skills which each word. I pulled her into a big hug.

"Maya..." I said into her ear. "I love you more than anything, and I don't like seeing you sad. Don't get too upset- even the best chefs have a hard time coming up with new recipes! Just try working on what you already know how to make, ok?"

"Okay," came her reply. "I'll clean this up now." I let her go so she could go clean up. I had to admit, Maya's cooking was a lot better than when I had met her now, but she still had problems... frequently. I went into the living room and plopped on the couch next to Emi.

"Was Mama trying to cook something again?" she asked in her quietest voice. She knew Maya was sensitive about this topic. I nodded my head, my movements incredibly tiny in case Maya looked over. Emi nodded, and went back to watching her show. It was some cartoon about the Harvest Sprites, mythical beings that were helpers to the Harvest Goddess. I looked at my daughter again- her chestnut hair was up into two pigtails as usual, tied with little blue bows. She stared intently at the TV, the blue eyes she inherited from my wife and her mother focused completely on the show. I chose that moment to sneak attack hug her.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I yelled, picking Emi up into my arms while laying on my back on the sofa.

"Ahh! Daddy, don't do that!" she commanded angrily.

"Oh? What about THIS!" I said, tickling her tummy. She wiggled around, trying to get free.

"Daddy- stop it!- That tickwes!" she exclaimed between laughs. If there was anything Emi loved, it was tickles. Maya practically ran in from the kitchen.

"What's going on in here?" she asked. When she saw Emi and I were playing, she smiled a little.

"Darling, let Emi watch her show. I don't think she wants any tickles right now!" she said with a laugh herself. I reluctantly stopped tickling Emi, and she moved away out of my reach. I smiled a little mischievously. _I'll get her later!_ I thought.

I ended up not giving Emi anymore tickles that day, though. It was around dusk now- Maya and I sat on one of those suspended swing benches that hangs from stuff, ours hanging from our porch roof. We sat there, swinging back and forth as we looked out on the sea by our home. The waves gently rolled onto the sandy shore, as if it were caressing it over and over. The sight and sound made me tired. I glanced at Maya next to me- her eyes were halfway closed, as if she was falling asleep. I smiled a little, happy with how content I was.

_Yeah, _I thought. _I really am lucky._

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><p><strong>There's chapter 5 guys! :D Hope you liked it! I tried my best on this- especially with Emi and her speech. I know toddlers don't have the best speech, but I wanted Emi to have better diction and such than most kids her age, to make her stand out a little. The only letter she can't pronounce is "L". Anyway, the next chapter should be coming up soon- no promises though, since I've been busier than usual lately. Til next time!<strong>


	6. A Saturday Lunch

**Hey everyone! I hope you've all been well. :) Sorry I haven't updated in awhile- I've been busy lately, and every time I had free time I honestly didn't feel like working on my fic. :p I haven't been feeling motivated enough. It doesn't help I've been addicted to a fanfic on here. xD Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter- it's in Molly's point of view this time. I know, shocking right? Two new P. in a row? Haha :) So without further ado, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

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><p>Molly's P.O.V<p>

I waited anxiously for Angela in the inn. She and I had arranged to have lunch today, but she wasn't here yet. _Fifteen minutes late._ I thought, slightly irritated. However, I was used to it from her- my sister wasn't very punctual. Still, I didn't enjoy waiting around awkwardly with nothing to do. Maya has asked for my order, but I told her I was waiting for Angie before I got anything. All I had to do was recount what had happened the night before- and every time I did, my heartbeat quickened just the teeniest bit.

Finally, my little sister bounded through the doorway, the usual spring in her step and the usual grin on her face. Seeing me only made it wider.

"Mols! I didn't know you were here already! I hope you didn't wait long for me- I got a little sidetracked on my way here.." She sat down in the chair across mine at our table as she greeted me.

"Don't you _always _get a little sidetracked on your way to places?" I inquired, both in a joking manner and irritated one. Her expression became sheepish, since she knew I wasn't exactly happy.

"Heh heh... yeah... sorry. It just always happens..." I sighed quietly.

"It's alright. You're here now, so it's alright. How have you been? I know it must be hard juggling your volunteer work and ranching, since it's hard for me at the shop sometimes..."

"Oh, I've been great actually! It hasn't been hard to balance everything, least not right now-" Angie promptly knocked on the wooden tabletop to dispel any jinxes. My sister was _very_ superstitious. "-since I'm able to do my ranch work before I leave for the Tailor's! What about you?"

"I've been good too actually. I'm working at the bar right now, so I have all day to man the shop without worrying about it interfering with my volunteer work, usually. I'm probably gonna have to find a way to juggle both my place and volunteer work during the day though... maybe I could have an order sheet, or part-time worker?"

"That's a good idea! And I'm glad to hear things have been good for you as well. How is working at the bar?"

"Oh, um... it's good. Great, actually..." I could feel a rosy blush cover my cheeks. "Yesterday was especially good..."

"Ooooh, why? What happened?" Angie's eyes went a little wider with interest.

"Well, it happened like this..."

_~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~_

_I strolled into the kitchen, where Chase was working. I enjoyed it in there- the smells that bombarded me were fantastic, especially if Chase was making the food. I laid another order on the counter, and as I did Chase glanced up at me. _

_"Another order of mushroom stir fry," I said quietly. Chase made a weird noise to show he acknowledged what I told him- some cross between a grunt and an "Okay". I looked over his shoulder into the pot he was stirring with astounding vigor. _

_"What are you making?" I questioned gently. _

_"Hmmm, I dunno, a sandwich?" He said sarcastically. I waited patiently for him to answer me. He sighed, aggravated. _

_"Shark fin stew. Will you leave me alone now?"_

_"Can I try some? Your cooking is really good," I ignored his question, and asked my own. _

_"Hmph. Yeah, I guess, since I need someone to test it for me... I don't know if I simmered it long enough," he grumbled. He dunk a spoon into the pot, and handed it to me gingerly so the stew wouldn't spill. _

_"Be careful," he warned. "It's hot." I blew on the warm concoction to cool it down some, then ate it. My eyes went wide. _

_"This is fantastic!" I exclaimed. Chase smirked, and ran a hand through his messy peach hair. His violet eyes stared at the tiled floor. _

_"Thanks," he said. Then he took out a clean spoon, filled it with the thick stew, and tried some himself. He frowned a little. _

_"The shark fin isn't tender enough..." _

_"I think it's perfect," I said with a smile. Chase's face became the slightest shade of pink, like a cherry blossom's petal. _

_"Uh, w-well, thanks, I guess. I wasn't asking for your opinion, but... y-yeah." I smirked at Chase's stammering. It was kind of funny seeing him fumble for words. I pivoted on the spot and went to take more orders, since I needed to get back to work before Hayden reprimanded me. _

_"Hey, what's up with Chase? Ever since you guys talked earlier, he's been muttering to himself... it's kinda funny," my new friend Kathy said with a giggle. She was extremely pretty- tall, blonde, and her eyes reminded me of bright emeralds, yet warmer. Kathy wasn't only pretty though. She had a great personality, seeing as she was kind, hard-working, reliable, and trustworthy. She and I had bonded fast since my first day at the bar. _

_"Um, I don't really know," I answered truthfully. I didn't see how anything I said could've made Chase start talking to himself... Kathy looked at me, a knowing grin on her face._

_"Someone's blushing. What'd you guys talk about earlier anyway?" _

_"Not much... I just tested some stew he was making. He was a little angry with it, but it tasted fantastic to me..." _

_"Hmmmm, I see!" Kathy smiled some more. "I think you might've flustered 'lil 'ol Chasey!"_

_"W-What? No way! Chase doesn't- I mean- just..." I sighed, defeated. It was obvious now..._

_"You like him don't you?" Kathy said quietly so no one would hear._

_"Yeah..."_

_"You should tell him! Ask him out girl!"_

_"Ask him out? What? Oh, no... I could never-"_

_"Molly, I've never ever in all my years knowing Chase seen him get jittery around any girl. Ever."_

_"Really?" I asked. It seemed far-fetched to me. Sure, Chase didn't seem like the type of guy to get especially nervous around someone... but I couldn't believe I was the first (or so Kathy said) to make him so!_

_"Really. So don't doubt yourself around him- I have love wave radar or at least something like it. So go get him tiger!" Kathy gave me and wink, and with that, pranced off to deliver some drinks. This left me to bustle around the inn's tables, trying to distract myself from thinking about him, and the possibility that maybe he returned the feelings I had. Sure, we didn't know each other extremely well. However, we had chemistry- every time I was around him I felt tense, yet relaxed at the same time. It was, well, weird. Also, we somehow got along well- I know some people at the inn found it odd, considering Chase isn't the friendliest, or kindest person there is and I try to be polite and caring towards most people. What I think most people didn't notice, however, was that Chase has a good heart. I can't say how I knew that- he just seemed like he did. Maybe that's why I liked him- he wasn't afraid of portraying whatever he felt._

_Later that night, after everyone's shift was over and we were cleaning up, Chase approached me._

_"Hey, uh, Molly..." Kathy glanced my way, smiling mischievously. I rolled my eyes at her, laughing a little inside._

_"Hi there Chase." I greeted him pleasantly. _

_"I was wondering, um, if you, ya know, would like someone to walk you home? Cause, uh, girls shouldn't be walking home alone this late at night... not like I'm worried or anythi-"_

_"Chase, I'd love for you to walk me home," I said with a kind smile. He blushed ever so slightly, and stuck his hands in his pockets._

_"Good. I uh, wouldn't want you to get hurt- not just you! Any girl, cause I'm chivalrous and, um, yeah... ready to go?"_

_"Just a second! Let me go say bye to Kathy!" Chase nodded, and I practically skipped over to my blonde friend and gave her a huge hug._

_"You better tell me every detail tomorrow, alright?" she whispered in my ear. I laughed, my voice piercing the air like a bell._

_"You bet!" I bounded out the door then, Chase, following behind. He and I walked slowly through the sleepy island. The trees danced mysteriously in the moonlight of the night, leaves whispering goodnights to us as we walked._

_"Where did you learn to cook so well Chase?" I asked, breaching the comfortable silence we had upheld till that moment. In the clean, pure light I saw his eyebrows furrow as if the question displeased him._

_"I taught myself," he said. I sensed there was more behind the answer. In the conversational pause that followed I mulled over whether to ask him if there was more to his answer. I decided to go for it._

_"That's amazing, you know. I can't believe you taught yourself! But didn't anyone else teach you, or..?"_

_"No. I taught myself, until I moved here a couple years back to study under Yolanda. Nobody else. I didn't have anyone else to teach me... maybe I'll tell you some time later, in the future..." Chase said the last part quietly. I respected his wishes and didn't push further. _

_"Here we are," I said when we reached my shop. _

_"It's nice. What do you sell again?" Chase asked as we walked up the path to my door._

_"Flowers, bouquets, perfumes, honey, the like. Anything flower related. I really need to start up my garden to get fresh flowers..." _

_"Hmmm, I see. I'll have to come to get some fresh honey for recipes then," he decided with a grin. I felt myself blush a little at the sight of his smile.  
><em>

_"Well, here we are... Chase, I was wondering... if I could ask you something?" I bit my lip, nervous._

_"No, you can't. It's illegal." he said sarcastically. "I have something to ask you too."_

_"Ok, same time then! Ready? One, two..." I motioned with my hand to talk, and our questions melded perfectly together._

_"Will you go-"_

_"to the Flower Festival with me?" We both gaped at each other a little, surprised. Then we started to laugh- my light giggle, and Chase's low chuckle._

_"Well, guess that answers that," he said. _

_"I'll see you tomorrow then, huh?" _

_"Yeah, you will." He smiled ever so slightly then. He walked down my pathway, turned to give me a wave, and disappeared into the night. Behind him, he left butterflies fluttering in my stomach._

_~~~~~~~End~~~~~~~~~~~  
><em>

"Wow," Angie said, shocked. I nodded. My cheeks were a bright rose color now, after recalling everything. Angie smiled at me.

"So we both have dates huh? This is starting out as a good year..." I nodded, embarrassed, and turned to my vegetable sandwich.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of our 'Sister's Only' lunch with my face the exact hue of a firetruck.

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><p><strong>Woooo! :D Hope you all enjoyed! Please review? I really hate asking that, but it motivates me when I get reviews. Right now, only one person reviews regularly. I'm not asking regularly, but every now and then would be nice... just saying. Anyway, farewell till next time!<strong>


	7. Ahh, Family

**Hello everyone! :D Chapter 7 is here- wooo! Just adding some more chapters that show the characters' personalities more, and the different sides. Next chapter is finally the one I bet everyone's waiting for- The Flower Festival! Yaaaaay! And then after that, well, you'll see ;D Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

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><p>Angela P.O.V.<p>

"Moooooooo!" Opal greeted me that fine Sunday morn in the usual way.

"Hey there sweetie!" I said jovially. Today was my day off from volunteer work, so I was extra chipper. It felt like nothing could bring me down today- I would get to see all my family, relax, and get some errands done that I _desperately_ needed to check off my to-do list. Yesterday's lunch with Molly just made me even happier, considering I was _very _pleased that Molly had finally gotten a kind-of-boyfriend guy thing. Back in the city during high school, Molly had been overlooked by guys because she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Needless to say, it sucked, and was very unfair.

A knock sounded on my barn door, interrupting my thoughts- which included a lot of resentment toward the stupid high school boys I had grown up with. I turned around, only to see a bright flame bandana and snowy white smile.

"Hey Luke!" A big grin danced onto my face.

"Hi there Angie!"

"What're you doing here? Don't you have work at the Carpenter's?"

"Y-yeah, I do," he said guiltily. "I wanted to see you though, and Pops won't miss me if I'm gone less than an hour or two."

"Awww, that's really sweet Luke!" We both blushed a bit- me at the thought he was risking a lecture from Dale just to see me, and I guess he was blushing at what he had said, my reaction, or something else. I wasn't sure...

"Mooooo?" Opal sounded, as if it was a question.

"Oh! Luke, I want you to meet someone," I took his leather covered hand, and kind of dragged him to the back of the barn where my beautiful little bovine's pen was.

"This is Opal!"

"Hey there Opal!" Luke greeted my cow in a friendly way. Opal sniffed the air around him, before letting out another hearty _"Moooo!". _

"Whoa! She answered me! That's EXTREME!" The blue haired carpenter exclaimed, stoked. I giggled.

"That means she likes you," I said happily. I know it might be silly to some people, but I wanted my cow- and other future ranch animals- to accept the guy I harbored feelings for.

"Yeah! That's awesome!" Luke and I proceeded to go outside after I let Opal out to graze, and watched her munch on the dewy grass from my porch.

"Uh... Angie?"

"Hmmmmm?"

"I brought you some presents... kinda like house warming gifts, ya know? Actually only one's from just me- the rest is from everyone at the Carpenter's..."

"Oh, Luke! You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to though! Anyway, here's the gift I got you... it's not much, but I hope you like it." He took out some honey from a brown paper bag on my porch- he must have left it there before he came to the barn, seeing as it wasn't there before- and placed it in my hands.

"Thank you so much! I love it! Honey's one of my favorite things..." I thanked him generously.

"Really? I heard you liked honey, but I didn't know how picky you were about it... I'm glad you like it. It took a lot of work to get, ya know!" We both laughed then, the sound joining the ongoing symphony of the nature around my home- the rushing river, the harmony of the birds, the rustling leaves..

"Oh, better not forget the other thing too." Next, Luke pulled out a tan bag from his back pocket- the contents of it jingled as it moved, so I suspected it was money.

"Oh no, I couldn't take any money from you guys! I have some savings, so I'm ok ri-"

"Angie, take it! You're just starting off here- even if you have tons of savings, you probably need a little cash." I took the bag grudgingly- I didn't like accepting the money, but I only brought enough for the bare minimum.

"Thanks Luke," I grumbled. "Make sure to tell everyone else at the Carpentry that too, ok?" He nodded.

"Of course! I gotta get going now, but I'll make sure to stop by soon alright?" He gave me a cheery wave and walked back to the Ganache Mine District, using the path by my house. I watched him go, my brown eyes a little sad.

"Oh! I need to head over to Kevin's!" I had nearly forgotten about the visit, since my mind was so muddled by Luke's company. I gave Opal a quick pat on the head, and took off down the dirt path.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Ding-dong _went the doorbell of my brother's house. I was 20 minutes late- Kevin was gonna kill me.

"Hey Angie. Glad to see you could finally join us," said Kevin when he opened the door. He glared at me a little, which wasn't surprising considering he never did have patience for my tardiness.

"Heh, sorry Kev I-"

"AUNT ANGIE!" screamed Emi, who had ran out from behind her father to hug my legs.

"Hey squirt! Have you been good for Mommy and Daddy?" I picked my chocolate haired niece up, smiling at her little chubby-cheeked grin.

"I have been! Mama and Daddy said that if I was good you'd wet me see your cow!"

"Oh did they now?" I shot a questioning look at Kevin that said _Who gave you permission? _even though I'd love for Emi to meet Opal. I just didn't like my cow being used as bribery for a child! Kevin shuffled his feet guiltily and let me through the doorway into the house. Inside I found Maya and Molly sitting on the sofa, drinking what smelled like some type of tea.

"Hi Angie!" Maya said, smiling as usual. I smiled back, and turned my gaze to Molly. I still has yesterday's lunch on the mind- and she could tell. Her tawny eyes darted away from mine, embarrassed. I set Emi down on the floor so I could sit down in one of the squishy armchairs. Emi promptly went to sit on Kevin's lap, who had sat down in an armchair too.

"Would you like some tea Angie? Or if you don't want any, I could get you some juice!"

"Um, depends. What kind of tea is that?" I tried peering into the teacups to decipher what it was- no luck.

"Sweet orange tea!" I smirked at Molly, who was heavily enjoying a cup- she had let it slip yesterday that a certain chef smelled exactly like oranges, which were his favorite fruit. She met my smirk with a blush, remembering.

"Oh, okay then. I'll just have some juice if you don't mind. Very Berry preferably," I said.

"Alrighty!" Maya dashed off to the kitchen, returning with a cup of Very Berry juice.

"Thanks Maya!"

"So, how has everything been with you guys?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, I've been _great_! Everything's going smoothly, and later today I'm going to go out to get some furniture..." Molly looked at me this time, smirking.

"You mean at the Carpentry?" Molly asked. To anyone else, it would've seemed like an innocent question, but I could tel where she was trying to go with this- she was trying to alert Kevin. Kevin was very protective of Molly and I- so mentioning boys in front of him was like setting of a bomb. A _nuclear _bomb.

"Actually, I was going to go to the General Store, sister dear," I said, batting my eyelashes.

"Um.. okay?" Maya said, confused at our behavior. "I'm going to go check on the pizza we're having for lunch... Emi, sweetie, wanna come help Mama?"

"Okay!" With that, the two left the room and the three siblings in it. Kevin, Molly and I were arranged in a triangle, all with good views of each other. I still couldn't figure out why Molly was trying to hint t our brother about th- Oh, wait. Never mind. I knew _exactly _why. It must've been about yesterday after lunch...

_~~~~~~Previously~~~~~~_

_"Hmmm-hmm-hm-hm!" I hummed to myself, skipping merrily along down the streets of town. I stopped suddenly, however, when I saw a head of bright peach hair- Chase. I grinned, and went up to talk to him_

_"Hey Chase!" I exclaimed, surprising the violet eyed boy. He turned to see who it was greeting him, and frowned a little._

_"Oh, hey. You're Molly's sister right? Angelica wasn't it?"_

_"Angela," I said a bit huffily. "So I hear you and Molly have a date!" He stared at me, the only indication he had understood me was a light blush on his pale face._

_"Yeah, we do."_

_"Well, make sure you're extra nice to her! Because if you're not..." I trailed off threateningly. I didn't MEAN to threaten him, but the guy just irritated me!_

_"If I'm not? What're you gonna do to me? Huh?" I hadn't exactly thought of that part..._

_"Uh, I dunno... but just make sure you're nice to her! Or you'll regret it!" And with that I stormed off._

Oops. Guess I knew now.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly to Molly.

"Do you know who embarrassing work was that night?"

"Huh...?" said a confused Kevin.

"Look, I didn't mean to! The guy just majorly irritated me, that's all!"

"Guy?" Kevin's eyes narrowed accusingly. We ignored him.

"Didn't mean to? How did you NOT mean to? I might as well go to the Carpenter's and show bandana boy your baby pictures!"

"He has a name! And you wouldn't dare!"

"Boy? BOY?"

"Oh yes I would!"

"BOOOOOOOOOOOYS? YOU TWO HAVE BEEN SEEING BOOOOYS?" roared Kevin. I loooked at Molly, our expressions saying the same thing- _Uh oh._

"Uh, no..." I said feebly.

"DON'T LIE TO ME! YOU TWO HAVE BEEN SEEING BOYS, HAVEN'T YOU? I SAID NO BOYS. EVER! GOING BEHIND-"

"KEVIN SHUT UP! MOLLY AND I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO-"

"-MY BACK AND SEEING HORRIBLE BOYS! TRYING TO GET YOU TO-"

"-SEE BOYS AT OUR AGE AND YOU'RE SILLY FOR-"

"-DO BAD THINGS AND MAKE YOU INTO BAD PEOPLE WHO DON'T GET JOBS AND LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS REMINISCING-"

"-SAYING WE CAN'T DATE AT ALL IN OUR LIVES! HOW ARE WE GOING TO HAVE CHILDREN WITHOUT-"

"YOU ARE NEVER EVER HAVING CHILDREN! TO HAVE CHILDREN MEANS YOU... have... to..." Molly and I stared at Kevin, embarrassed.

"What is going ON in here?" Maya asked, appearing in the doorway. It must have been quite a sight- me standing up, fist clenched, Kevin tomato red in the face with anger, and Molly giving him a look that I'm surprised _didn't _kill him.

"Oh.. uh-"

"Maya, sweetheart, please tell these two that they are never allowed to date or have any romantic interaction ever."

"So that's what this is about...?" We all nodded. Maya directed an angry don't-make-me-lecture-you look onto Kevin.

"Kevin William Moore don't you DARE go there. These two girls have every right to date and get married and have children! Don't you want them to be happy like us? You said yourself you hoped they would find everything they were looking for in life here! And that includes love! So you better not yell at them anymore- and if you don't like what I have to say, you can sulk all you want!" Kevin's expression turned sour. I grumbled something under his breath that sounded like "Bathroom" and fled. Maya turned to give my sister and I an apologetic look.

"Sorry about him girls. He just really worries about you!" She then skipped off towards the kitchen.

The rest of the night was spent a sulking Kevin- and_ no_ more mention of boys.

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><p><strong>Haha! :D There's chapter 7 guys! I hope you enjoyed the whole "KEVIN SMASH" angry thing. :) I wanted to show a protective side of him, ya know? Anyway, if you have anything to say, please review! Until next time!<strong>


	8. Flower Festival Angela's Night

**Why hello there readers! :) Let me just give you a HUGE _THANK__ YOU!_ You all have said very kind things about LDaUT, which makes me a very happy girl :)** **Just let me know if there's anything I can do to make things better for you all! Constructive criticism helps a lot. I know some people have suggested things to make it better, and to those of you who have (You know who you are :D) I thank you. I agree completely, and I'm trying to work on those areas. Now, finally the big chapter is here- the Flower Festival! -party horn- YAY! :) The first half of the chapter is in Angela's P.O.V., while the second half is Molly's. After the Flower Festival, well, you'll just have to wait and see. :) I know, you're all very upset about the suspense. Don't worry, I won't take a terribly long time to upload it.. I hope. Hehe. I have some things coming up, so no promises! So before you start this chapter, I just want to clarify something- This fanfic takes place on Waffle Island of ToT. However, I am kind of mixing ToT and AP together, so there will be some festivals like in ToT and some like AP. The Flower Festival is one of those. Also, rival couples not available in ToT will be in this. Without further ado, onward to chapter 8- part 1! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.  
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><p>Angela P.O.V.<p>

I stood, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I looked _completely _different than how I usually looked. Today was the day of the Flower Festival, however, and my friends from the Tailor Shop had come over to give me a make over.

_~~~~Earlier~~~~_

_"I don't see why this is needed..." I said unhappily. My friend Luna, who was in the process of doing my hair_, _made a huffy noise from her spot behind me._

_"Angie! Don't you want to look beautiful for your date? I mean seriously, no offense hon, but you could make yourself a LOT more presentable."_

_"S-sis! T-that's not e-exactly k-kind to say..." Luna's older sister, Candace, stumbled over the scolding from her place in one of my dining room chairs- she was currently putting the finishing touches on the dress I was to wear.  
><em>

_"It's alright, Candace, I see her point. I don't really try to look pretty most days- especially since I would ruin anything I did with myself, since I get so dirty!" I said with a laugh. I really enjoyed being friends with the two sisters, even if they were total opposites. _

_ Luna was extremely honest, brave, and outgoing. She told people what was exactly on her mind, and didn't candy coat anything. I thought it was kind of funny, considering Luna loved sweets. Luna was also very __girly- she loved doing her nails, hair, and makeup. I honestly didn't think she needed any of it, considering her rosy pink hair and bright sapphire eyes against her pearly skin were all a stunning combination. However, Luna insisted upon adorning herself with layers of cosmetics, hair products and such. __It really was a shame._

_Candace, however, was shy, timid, and scared. She had been bullied as a child, so she was reduced to a wallflower. Luna had said that before her sister was bullied she was very_ _social and loved talking to people. Candace's personality was reflected in her style- she always wore long skirts and sleeves, and they were always a shade of blue. Candace never wore makeup, but it really didn't matter- she was pretty enough without it also. I felt bad for Candace, however- everything she did to make herself blend into the walls made her stand out more, and that dismayed her. I, along with Luna, had been trying to make the girl more outgoing but the process was going painfully slow. The most outgoing thing she had done was greet Julius (the guy she liked, who happened t be her former bully) before he greeted her for once! And afterwards, she promptly scattered off, leaving Julius confused and blushing. I sighed, stumped on how to help my friend._

_"Angie! Yoooo-whooo? Stop worrying- just focus on how amazing tonight will be, alright?" Luna said, as if she could read my mind. She probably had known from the expression on my face- it was my deep thinking expression, which I didn't use often._

_"I-I finished t-the d-dress for A-Angela..." Candace stammered, holding the frock behind her, slightly smiling._

_"Candace, I told you, call me Angie! We're good friends aren't we?" I gave the shy girl an encouraging look._

_"Y-yes! O-of c-course!" she squeaked. I smiled._

_"Woo, hooray, friendship, just show us the dress already Candy!" Luna chirped. Candace moved the dress into our view- it was gorgeous, and I didn't even like dresses. It was a light yellow, like sunshine. The dress had spaghetti straps, and a little decorative daisy pinned to the where one of the straps and the dress met. The hemline was right at the knees, and an orange ribbon encircled the middle of the dress, accenting the waist. _

_"Candy! That's so good! It's definitely one of my favorites of all the sundresses you've made!" Luna exclaimed, overwhelmed by the cuteness of the frock._

_"I love it Candace! Thank you so much!"_

_"N-No problem... A-Angie."_

_"C'mon, Ang, let's get you into this!" Luna trilled before pushing me off into the bathroom, accompanied by my new sundress._

"Angie... you look..."

"B-beautiful!"

I smiled at their compliments. Candace really did have a talent for making clothes that flattered the people they were made for- the color of the dress made my skin look brighter, and therefore healthier. The color also went well with my brunette locks, and made the usually unnoticeable natural highlights pop- or maybe that was just because my hair was pulled back into a curly high ponytail, revealing new parts of my hair.

"Here, wear these shoes!" Luna commanded, shoving my old pair of orange sandals into my hands. I promptly put them on, and twirled on the spot.

"Wonderful Angie! Now if that stinky carpenter's jaw doesn't drop when he sees you, then he's blind!"

"Luna," I said, a warning tone in my voice. "Don't say mean things about him, he's very nice- and he's NOT smelly!" Luna only giggled, and squealed as my doorbell rang. I only rolled my eyes, and went to open the door.

"Hey Luke! Hey Julius! Hey Gill!" I said, greeting all of our dates. I heard a murmur of "Hello"s from Julius and Gill, but Luke looked like a fish out of water- his mouth was gaping open, and his eyes were wider open. I heard Luna snicker behind me, and Candace quietly chuckled.

"Luke, you might wanna close your mouth- you might catch some flies," Gill said in his usual pompous manner. Luke gave him a glare, but not before snapping his mouth shut quickly. I giggled. I walked out the door to stand beside Luke, and let the sisters behind me out. Luna tackle hugged Gill, making him blush the color of his beloved tomatoes. Candace simply walked over to Julius, face ablaze, while her lavender haired date casually put his arm around her- she turned the shade of a deep red rose. I grinned wide- I was the one who had told Julius about the cyan haired seamstress's affections for him, after he confessed his for her to me. Candace looked at me, and mouthed a "Thank you". I nodded, and took Luke's hand. We all headed off then to the church, where the festival was held. When we all got there, we chose spots and settled down. Luke and I chose a spot underneath the big cherry tree, talking as we admired the flowers.

"You know, Angie, I'm really happy I got to go with you," Luke said. I blushed.

"Me too Luke... " I noticed then Molly and Chase standing over in front of the blue church's doors- accompanied by creepy Mayor Hamilton. The little man and Molly were laughing at something (Molly was slightly blushing) and Chase was halfheartedly chuckling, blushing crimson as well. I grinned at them, and looked back at Luke. His face was upturned, his eyes gazing at the fragrant cherry blossoms.

"The flowers are really pretty, huh?" I asked, joining him in admiring the blossoms. I saw his head turn to face me out of my peripheral vision.

"Yeah, but..." I looked at him- his face was bright red, and he looked nervous.

"But what, Luke?" I was confused. _But what?_

"But... not as beautiful as y-" Before he had time to finish what he was saying,Hamilton came over to talk to us.

"Hello there younglings!" he said jovially.

"Younglings..? Is that even a word...?" I asked, irritated I didn't get to hear the rest of Luke's statement. He looked irked as well- his eyebrows were furrowed at Hamilton, and his eyes showed displeasure.

"Of COURSE it is Angela my dear! Why would I use a made up word?"

"Erm.."

"But never mind that! Are you two having fun?" Hamilton asked.

"Oh yes! This festival just makes me feel so peaceful and at one with nature!" I exclaimed. Hamilton guffawed.

"Good good! Enjoy the rest of the festival, whipperchildren!" He then tumbled off to talk to some other unlucky couple.

"Uh..." Luke said, scratching the back of his head. I chuckled nervously.

"He really isn't good with remembering words is he...?" I said. Luke shook his head.

"What was it you were gonna say?"

"N-nothing! Let's just look at the pretty flowers... what're they called again? Uh..."

"Cherry blossoms?"

"Yeah!" I laughed at how silly Luke was being, even if he was trying to change the subject.

"Luke, why don't you wanna tell me what you were going to say?" I asked.

"U-uh, I d-don't wanna embarrass myself..." He grinned sheepishly.

"Oh c'mon! It couldn't have been anything embarrassing! Just tell me! Please?" I batted my eyelashes at him and made a puppy face. He sighed.

"Alright... I was gonna say, the flowers _are _beautiful, but not as beautiful as you..." He finished with a blush. I had a matching blush on my face.

"O-Oh... well, that's really sweet Luke!" I smiled at him.

"U-um, yeah, I guess it was!" Luke and I spent the rest of the festival smiling and laughing with each other. _I really like being with him... Maybe things will... No! No thinking like that yet Angie! This is only the first date... but I really am starting to fall for this guy more and more..._

__"Hey Angie? The festival's over- do you want me to walk you home?"

"Huh? Oh, that would be nice! Thanks!"

"N-no problem! The pleasure's mine," he said, grinning. He took my hand then, and we strolled through Maple Lake District toward my house. On the way we asked each other about our favorite things- foods, holidays, seasons, etc.

"Favorite color?" I asked.

"Red! Yours?"

"Why red?"

"Cause it's EXTREME! And answer my question!"

"Ok!" I said, laughing. "I'd have to say orange."

"I like orange! It's a really energetic color- gets me PUMPED!" Luke exclaimed, making me laugh again.

"Mmm-hmm!"

"Favorite animal?"

"Ugh, I can't pick! Can I do my top three?" I pleaded.

"Sure!"

"Ok, uh... I'm gonna have to go with cows, dogs, and turtles!" I exclaimed. "What's yours?"

"Those are cool animals! And my favorite animals are dragons, dinosaurs, and SLOTHS!"

"Ok, I understand the first two but why sloths?"

"Have you ever seen a sloth's facial expression? It's so sleepy yet... INTENSE." At this, I started laughing my head off. Luke accompanied this sentence with a starstruck look, and made flailing hand gestures to go with it. Unfortunately, however, we had reached my home.

"Awww, looks like we're here..." he said, trailing off.

"Yeah... I'll see you soon Luke!"

"Yup... see you soon." He started walking down the road toward where the Carpentry was, and I started walking up to my house. Next thing I knew, arms were wrapping themselves around me and Luke was whispering in my ear.

"I kinda forget something," the tone of his voice was sheepish.

"Forgot what?"

"This." Luke pecked me on the cheek quickly, and my face erupted into a strawberry red color. I spun around to see him, but he was already running off down the pathway.

"See you soon Angie!" he yelled, grinning from ear to ear. My own blushing profile smiled wider than I ever had.

"See you soon, Luke," I whispered, my voice softer than the sounds of the night.

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><p><strong>Well, what'd you think everyone? :D I honestly thought this first chapter half went pretty well! :) If you don't think so, then please tell me why- I would really like to know what I need to work on. If you liked it, but want more of something, then tell me k? If you have anything to say at all, I'd like to hear it. I'm all ears :3 Anyway, next chapter is the Flower Festival from Molly's P.O.V.- the chapter afterwards is where we start getting some problems. Not gonna say what, but you'll see. :) <strong>

**Also, for all my readers who enjoy the rival couples ships- I've been toying with the idea of writing a Toby X Renee oneshot. And maybe a Phoebe X Calvin and Candace X Julius. Thoughts? :D**

**Till next time!**


	9. Flower Festivals Molly's Night

**Hello dear readers! :D The second half of the Flower Festival chapter is now here! :) I hope you all enjoy it, and that you didn't mind waiting for it to be uploaded xD Unfortunately I won't be able to update as frequently since I have a lot of events coming up, but I'll try and make time for LDaUT. Anyway, onward!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon**

**(P.S I'm still curious to know who would like me to write that Toby X Renee one shot I mentioned in last chapter's ending note. Or would you all rather me write about a different couple? I know I've gotten a request for a type of Candace X Julius spin-off story, which I plan on doing since it's a fantastic idea! *Credits to missbabblingbrook21 for the suggestion :3*Or not write any one shots at all and get on with LDaUT? XD Make sure to let me know!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon. I also do not own Lemon Pledge or Pine-Sol.  
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><p>Molly's P.O.V<p>

"Mmm-hmmm-do-do-la-di~" I hummed to myself as I worked in my garden. I had some time to kill before getting ready for the Flower Festival, so I was starting on the garden I desperately needed up and running. At the moment I was planting lavender, hyacinth, tulips, and moondrops. While I did like all of the blooms, I would have to wait till Summer to plant my favorite flowers- pansies. For some reason, pansies had always called to me... Maybe it was because they reminded me of Persian cats' squished faces, and I was a cat person...

"Uh, Molly?" I swiveled around to find Chase standing outside the small white picket fence protecting my flower bed. I blushed, embarrassed thoroughly- I currently had my hair up in a messy bun, dirt streaked in random places all over myself, and sweat on my brow from the abnormally hot setting spring sun.

"C-Chase! Uh, aren't you a couple hours early? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but.."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said, running a hair through his messy hair. "I figured we could maybe have dinner together before we leave... but if it's inconvenient for you-"

"No no no! It's fine, c'mon in..." I led the way into my home, and ushered Chase into the back part of my house. It was two rooms- my bedroom and a conjoined living room/kitchen/dining area. The bedroom was painted a pastel aquamarine, and had white furniture, a light blue checkered bedspread, and various colorful decor. The multi-purpose room had vertical stripe wallpaper, the stripes themselves alternating between white and melon green color. The kitchenware was bright colors like yellow and orange, which corresponded to the vivid paintings on the walls. The sofa and matching armchairs were dark brown leather, and the other pieces of furniture matched. The table was adorned with a bright orange checkered tablecloth, and a vase of pretty yellow hyacinth on top. The flooring throughout the whole house was very light tan, almost beige, wooden planks, like the color of a plain cookie. A brick fireplace was placed near my living room area, my television mounted on the wall above the hearth and my bright green phone next to it.

"Nice place," Chase said.

"T-Thanks!" I stammered.

"How'd you get furniture so quickly? You've only been here around a week or so..." Chase asked.

"I've had time to go buy furniture since I keep running out of stock and I don't work until the evenings," I stated.

"Oh, I see. Well, you have a good eye for interior decorating..." _Oh my! Chase just complimented me!_

"T-thank you very much! Uh, you can take a seat anywhere you want while I go get ready, alright?"

"Okay, try not to take too long alright? Well, wait, I mean... bah, never mind," he called after me, since I had already traveled into my bedroom. I opened my wardrobe and frantically looked for something decent to wear- then my eyes spotted an old frock I had. It was a bright white, and the hemline was around the knees. It had thick tank top straps and was tighter around my torso and flared out at the waist. Little pearly colored buttons were filed down my front until they reached my belly button, and light pink cherry blossoms served as a pattern for the dress. _Perfect_ I thought. I put it on quickly, along with some matching sandals and a fake cherry blossom floral circlet. After making sure I was presentable, I walked out into my everything room to continue my date with Chase.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I apologized, bowing slightly. When I straightened back up, I saw the young chef's eyes shone with surprise and something else I couldn't put my finger on. His cheeks matched the blooms incorporated into my outfit, and the blush stood out against his pale skin. He cleared his throat.

"Y-you look... really nice Molly," he said, averting my gaze.

"T-thank you Chase. You look good yourself..." I said quietly, half hoping he wouldn't hear me- which he did. His face became even more rosy- like Luna's hair.

"So, what would you like for dinner Chase?" I asked him.

"Anything but pickled vegetables," he replied, making a face.

"You don't like pickled vegetables?"

"No! Not at all. They're just so... disgusting! Why would you ruin a perfectly good thing by_ pickling_ it? You could use it for so many other things.. like stir fry!" he exclaimed, passionate about his hatred for the food. Inside, I found it kind of funny.

"I personally can't stand goat products or plain egg products," I said, walking over to my kitchen. I looked into my larger than normal sized fridge- I kept my fridge well stocked, so I had the elements for almost any dish.

"Hey Molly? I think I have an idea for dinner."

"And what is that?"

"How about we both make a small dinner that we'd like ourselves? That way we can try- well actually, _I_ can try since you've had my cooking- but anyway, we can share food and find out more about each other in the culinary aspect..."

"Chase, that's a great suggestion!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, thanks. It wasn't _that_ good, but heh, whatever..." He sauntered into my kitchen, confident. He picked some ingredients from the cabinets and fridge, and went to work. He moved as if he owned the place, or he was born in a kitchen. I was impressed- I wasn't a novice in the kitchen (I actually cooked quite often, since it was a hobby of mine) but his sureness was to be envied. Nonetheless, I set myself to work, picking all the materials I needed for one of my favorite foods- ratatouille. I glanced at Chase- he already had his dish in the oven, cooking away. _Holy smokes! He's fast!_ I thought to myself. As I prepared the plate, Chase chatted with me, occasionally inquiring things.

"Hey Molly, should make drinks too?" he asked, staring intently at his creation in the oven, yet glancing at me whist I cooked.

"Uh, sure if you want!"

"Okay," he replied, getting more ingredients from my fridge. I was too busy to look and see what it was. I myself still had to make a drink now! I already knew what I was going to make, however- milk tea. I smiled, anxious for Chase's reaction to my cooking.

An hour later, Chase and I had finished making our respective foods. We brought them to the table, and at the same time uncovered what we had made.

"Ratatouille? Milk tea?" he asked. I nodded.

"I couldn't pick a favorite food, but ratatouille is one of the ones I like the best. And milk tea is my favorite drink..." I stated, trailing off. I looked at his platter.

"Herb fish and herb tea?" I inquired. He bobbed his head curtly, and said:

"Neither of them are actually my favorites- My favorite drink is orange juice, and my favorite foods are anything with orange or shark fin stew. You've already tried my shark fin stew, and oranges aren't a good ingredient for dinner..."

"Oh, I see!" I exclaimed. It made sense. "Let's eat, shall we?" He mumbled "Sure" and pulled out my chair for me. I blushed, and he planted himself opposite of me. We served ourselves from each platter and sampled the foods while chatting, enjoying having company for dinner. _It feels nice, having someone to cook and eat with..._

"Wow," Chase murmured, staring at my ratatouille.

"What is it?" I asked, a little scared. I wasn't sure if my food would be up to his standards.

"This... is really good Molly! I thought your cooking would be okay, but this is amazing! I didn't think you cooked!" he exclaimed. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Chase! I actually cook a lot- it's a hobby of mine," I stated.

"Hmmm, I see... well, good to know. I like it when a woman can cook..." This caused me to blush, and look down at my decorative tablecloth. "We'll have to do this again sometime..."

"Y-yes!" I said, agreeing with him a little too fast. He smirked.

"I can see you're not excited at all, huh?" The two of us broke out into laughter, and spent the rest of the time up till the Flower Festival getting to know each other better.

"Looks like it's time to go," I said, slightly disappointed. I was having fun hanging out with the peach haired man.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "The Flower Festival is nice though, I guess. I bet you'll love it, since you adore flowers..." I nodded, agreeing with him. On our way to the church in Maple Lake District, Chase told me about himself more.

"... And I really don't like when people don't throw away their trash," he said. "It ends up in the rivers and ocean, and then the fish suffer from it. That makes them bad for cooking with, plus it's just not fair in the first place."

"I agree totally. We all need to really help the planet. I've heard of places where crops can't even grow because of the poor soil quality!" He shook his head at this, displeased.

"I also don't like the smell of pine."

"You don't like a lot of things do you?" I asked. So far he had expressed his displeasure for lizards, perfumes, anything from the mines, closed toe shoes, pollution and now the smell of pine.

"It's not my fault! I'm a citrus guy- I'd rather have some Lemon Pledge any day than Pine-Sol." At this I laughed- here in the country everyone was behind the times, and things like Lemon Pledge and cars and computers were nonexistent. Some of the island children didn't even know what a car was!

"Okay Mr. Positive, what _do_ you like?" I questioned, skeptical he really did like anything.

"That's easy. Oranges, cooking, cats, good food, rainy days, the color orange..." he rambled on, proving to me he did like some things.

"... and the smell of oranges or... uh..."

"Or what?"

"Don't laugh."

"I'm not going to laugh- just tell me Chase." He sighed.

"You... you smell exactly like honey and milk, with a dash of cinnamon..." I blushed, flattered by his sweet comment. Chase saying something sweet was rare, but it seemed to be happening more and more.

"Well, thank you Chase. I like the smell of you too... you smell exactly like oranges and rain; not the fishy wormy smell of rain though, the fresh clean one.." He ran a hand through the back of his untidy hair.

"T-thanks. Now that I mentioned all those things, it's your turn." I proceeded to name off things I did and didn't like.

"I like rabbits and cats, anything flower related including perfume, summer fruits, the special things you can only enjoy during certain seasons, learning..." I babbled on and on until we reached the church grounds, where the festival was already underway.

"... and I hate spiders!" I exclaimed. Chase chuckled.

"We're here. And don't worry, there aren't any spiders here." We chose to stand in front of the church doors and gaze up at the cherry blossom tree from there. We stood there for awhile, admiring the scenic cherry blossoms against the black star-dotted sky.

"Y'know..." Chase said, breaking the silence- well, _our _silence, since everyone else was conversing quite a bit.

"What is it?"

"I used to not care for this festival much... but with you, it seems.. better." I was starting to think that he was trying to see how many times he could cause blood to rush up to my face in one night.

"Oh my... that's quite a compliment. I hope we can do this again next year- I don't think it would be the same or as great if I weren't with you," I stated, throwing the sweetness right back at him. He ended up with a flaming face also.

"Molly-"

"Why HELLO there! If it isn't the young lovebirds!" Hamilton exclaimed, running towards us in his usual powder blue suit and his grey locks in their usual fashion.

"Lovebirds...?" Chase questioned. I smirked a little, happy with the title.

"Why YES of course! I heard you talking to Gilligan yesterday about your date with young Miss Molly here, since you two are such good friends, two peas in a pod really.." the pudgy mayor rambled on, embarrassing Chase with a multitude of things. Since he and Gill actually _were_ that great of friends, Hamilton had gathered more information than most knew about the chef- he even told me about the time he accidentally lost his swim trunks in the water at the Ocean Festival two years ago. By this time I was laughing with the short man, my face slightly warmed. Chase stood next to me, trying to seem like he found it funny also, but his lavender eyes showed anger at the rotund head of town. However, he blushed darkly as well.

"Ah well, you'll never be bored with this one around Molly my dear! You'll have to invite me to the wedding! Ciao for now youthsnappers!" With a wink, Hamilton ran off towards the big cherry tree we all loved. Chase and I were left stunned, avoiding looking at each other, for it was far to early for us to think about marriage at all! Chase coughed, trying to defuse the tense atmospheric bubble around us.

"Uh, let's go, shall we?"

"S-sure," I said. People were starting to leave for the night, so the annual celebration was practically over. Chase and I walked the whole way to my home silent, not sure of what to say. I didn't mind- the awkwardness of what Hamilton had said was gone now, and it was just a nice silence, the kind you shared with people you just liked being around. We traveled down the streets, walking close to each other- enough to where our arms brushed against the other person's every time we swung it according to our steps. I could hear his soft breathing, and the sound of our sandals on the dirt trail. When we reached my home, I turned to face Chase.

"Goodnight Chase. I had a great time," I said softly, looking up into his purple hued eyes. He looked back at me, into my golden brown doe eyes. He smiled slightly.

"I did too. Goodnight Molly." Before he left, he encircled me in a big hug, and my face ended up being pressed into the chest and shoulder depending on how I moved my head. I was breathless- he was warm, soft, like a big cuddly teddy bear. I placed my arms around his neck and buried my head into his shoulder even more- his orange-y rainy smell was even more prominent. I sighed, content. Unfortunately, we had to separate sometime. When we did, his smile was even wider.

"Night Molly." He walked off then, and smiling the whole way. I wanted to say something, but I was too stunned.

_What a night._

Chase's P.O.V

_You know, I wouldn't mind marrying Molly someday... I can actually see it myself. No yet of course. But one day..  
><em>

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><p><strong>How did everyone like that chapter? :D I hope it filled everyone's hopes- unless you were hoping for full on lips-on-lips kissing or something. C'mon, they aren't gonna move that quickly! xD Anyway, I'll try and get Chapter 9 up as soon as I can, but that might not be for awhile. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait. Until next time! :3<strong>


	10. Nothing Personal

**Hello dear readers! :) Thanks for all the reviews and all the nice things you've said about my story- it makes my day every time I read a review. And to a certain reviewer, yes I realize Chase can be OOC here. I try my best not to make him like that, but Chase really is a complicated character- that's one of the reasons I, myself, like him so much. He has a lot of depth, and capturing that is challenging. I went back and changed that word you couldn't see him using- I agree, he probably wouldn't. I just didn't realize I had typed it xD I would've re-read it, but I wanted to get it out to everyone as soon as possible. Thank you for alerting me about that. I'm just gonna cut to the chase (Hehe, Chase :D), and give you chapter 9 already. :) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

**(P.S Soon I'll be posting a one-shot and the first chapter of a Candy X Juli story, as suggested by missbabblingbrook21. Ha, I keep mentioning her, hope she doesn't get annoyed by it or anyone else to be annoyed by it either. I want credit to be given where it's due.)**

**(P.P.S. No, before anyone asks, I do NOT hate Selena. I'll explain more at the end of the chapter.)  
><strong>

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><p>Selena's P.O.V.<p>

"Selena, dear, it's time to wake up," Colleen said, knocking on the door of my suite. I rolled over in my cushy bed and groaned- I _did not_ want to get up after what I had witnessed last night. Not after seeing him with that- that- _thing._ What did he even see in her? She was always dirty, and her hair was incredibly messy! Not to mention the girl lacked grace- she was stumbling all over her feet whenever I saw her walk through town. I was twice as beautiful, twice as talented, and _three_ times more suitable for Luke than _Angela._

I finally summoned the willpower to leave my covers, and went to my closet to retrieve the clothes I wore- a flashy plum colored dancer costume that accented all the best parts of me- my curvy figure, my tan complexion, and my silky flaming locks. Somehow, though, even when I paraded around in it everyday Luke wouldn't look at me the way he looked at that man-stealing... man-stealing... ugh, I couldn't even think of a word to describe that... that.. bah, see?

After pinning my hair up in it's usual bun, I stalked out of my room, out of the inn, and onto the streets. I kept on going until I reached my favorite place- Cream Beach. I had loved the sandy shore as soon as I set eyes on it- Cream Beach was the only thing close I had to home here. I had ran away to Waffle Island to pursue my dancing career, and my parents didn't know where I went. However, eventually someone got the message to me that they were upset and worried, and now I visited once every season. I missed Toucan Island more than anything- it's warm, humid weather, the exotic foliage and animal life, the constant jovial atmosphere... the isle was where my heart was. Well, besides with that dense azure-haired carpenter.

As soon as I got there, I took up the starting position for my favorite routine, an upbeat number that featured lots of arm movements and twirling. I danced along to the beat of the waves crashing by my feet, the seagulls crying in the sky, and voices of screaming fans in my head, yelling _"Selena! Selena, we love you!"._ I smiled, totally at peace. Dancing wasn't only my passion, my dreams, and my future- it was an outlet for all my feelings. I danced when I was happy, I danced when I was sad, and most importantly, I danced when I was angry. When I danced while angry, my movements were even better than usual and the fire within me shined. And the whole time I danced, I decided upon one thing.

I left my haven after sunrise, with that one decision ringing through my head like a bell.

Sorry Angela, you shouldn't have messed with a girl like me. Nothing personal. And as for Luke? He would be mine- whether he liked it or not.

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><p><strong>And there's Chapter Nine! Sorry it was so short. :( I tried to make it longer, but it wasn't really meant to be a long chapter- just a little short cliffhanger type chapter. Just so you know what's to come, or have an idea of it anyway. Now, on to the proof that I really DO NOT HATE Selena.<strong>

**Ok, now I'm sure all the ones out there that like Selena are very angry at me for making her the antagonist. Trust me, I don't hate Selena at all. I admit, at first I did because in the first meeting with her in Tree of Tranquility she's very conceited and I really do not like anyone who's vain. But after the event where you tell her her parents miss her back on Toucan Island I saw her nice side, and that changed my opinion. I think she's a wonderful character, like all the others in the Harvest Moon series. She's a very confident, brave, and passionate person. I respect that. I also can relate to Selena- her passion and dream is to be a famous dancer. I feel that exact same way, except about singing and acting. However, I needed someone to be my antagonist and she fit the role better than Maya ever could. In my opinion, making Maya into an antagonist while making sure she's NOT OOC is extremely difficult. She just doesn't come off hateful to me. Maybe it's because I was friends with her in my game BEFORE I met Chase, but either way. Anyway, I do not hate or dislike Selena at all, she just fits my purpose best for this story.**

**Til next time!**

**~Momoka Ribbon**


	11. Both Sides

**Hello everyone! :D Momo here! Thank you everyone for all your kind reviews! :D They're all very sweet. :3 I don't really have much else to say here, so I'm gonna get on with the chapter haha. xD Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

**(P.S For those interested, chapter 1 of my Candy X Julius story is now up! :D)**

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><p>Molly's P.O.V<p>

I sat at my kitchen table that morning, slowly eating the fluffy pancakes I had made for myself. The window in my living room/kitchen/dining room area was wide open, letting in the cool morning spring breeze. Several birds outside sang, making me even sleepier than I already was. It was 6:04- in the morning. Normally I would be passed out at this time of day- but I couldn't sleep.

Me? Couldn't sleep? Very surprising. But I couldn't stop thinking about yesterday...

Needless to say, it was quite possibly the best night of my life. Definitely one of the best, but I couldn't decide what day in my life was my absolute favorite. As I debated this, I put my empty plate in the sink and shuffled into my bedroom. Sometimes I really wished I did get up earlier- the morning light that streamed through my thin glass windows made everything so much prettier than the light at noon or sunset. I clumsily changed out of my my sea green pinstriped pajamas and into my usual attire- a light yellow t-shirt with a cropped orange tank over it, along with jean shorts almost hidden the red skirt I wore on top. To finish the look off I put on my white gardening gloves and my butterscotch colored boots. Dressed and ready to go, I headed outside to start my gardening.

The morning air felt great on my skin, and made me feel refreshed. Usually I had to drink my morning tea to feel like this, but this worked much better... maybe I'd try to wake up earlier from now on...

I walked through my little gate into my beautiful little flower garden. It wasn't very big now, but I hoped to expand it once I got the money. No one ever really bought much from me, except this one red headed woman who constantly bought my perfumes. In my opinion, she used too much of the stuff- but then again, I liked people's natural smell better than artificial, ironic as it was. Don't get me wrong, I loved perfume- but I thought natural smells were always better and more unique than what you could buy bottled. For the next two hours I plucked unwanted weeds out of the rich soil, watered my flowers that had yet to bloom, and harvested honey along with the most popular flowers for bouquets this season- tulips and hyacinth. Maybe it was because together in a bouquet, they meant something along the lines of "Sincere true love" depending on who you were asking, and the color of the tulips. They really did look nice together, but I had always preferred lavender and moondrops together...

"Molly?" a voice called. I turned around, looking up from the row of hyacinth I was currently watering. My honey tinted brown eyes met a pair of deep purple colored ones.

"O-Oh! Chase! Good m-morning!" I stuttered, suddenly self-aware that for the second time he had seen me dirty and _definitely_ not presentable.

"Good morning to you too..." We both stood there kind of awkwardly, both of us remembering last night. I smiled to myself at the memory, but blushed brighter than my tulips remembering our hug... our very _long_ hug.

"Um, w-was there something you came by for, Chase?" I asked quietly. He snapped out of whatever deep thought he was pondering and shifted his gaze from his bright turquoise sandals to my pale, blushing face. He blushed a little at me and averted his gaze, deciding to stare at my little butter yellow mailbox while he talked instead.

"Well, I thought that maybe... uh..." he coughed awkwardly, clearing his throat.

"Yes? You thought w-what Chase?" I asked, my nerves revealing themselves again in my words.

"I thought that... well, Molly, I'm just going to spit this out and say it already. You see, I told you I'd have to come by for some honey from your shop and I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone right? So.. uh.. Molly, I decided that while I'm here I'd ask you if you wanted to do something today... unless you're busy..." He gestured to my garden, and I looked at my dirt covered toes. I started to draw a heart with the tip of my shoe while I talked.

"Yeah... unfortunately, I actually am busy right now... I'm sorry Chase... I'd really like to do something sometime, but today-"

"Hmph. Alright then," he said, a displeased tone in his voice. I looked up to tell him with my eyes how sorry I was, but instead found him walking into my garden!

"What do you need done today? I'm not doing anything till the the bar opens, so I'm free to help."

"O-oh! Chase, you don't have to do this, really-"

"Molly," he said plainly. "I want to help." He blushed while saying this, causing me to smile wider than just his words would've caused. I nodded at him, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Okay," I said. "But just warning you, we have a lot of work to do!" He smirked.

"Yes ma'am. You owe me for this, by the way," he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. "Where do I start?"

"Well, we can start by finishing up the gardening, and then..." I continued giving him a description of what the to-do list for the day looked like. We began on the first task- gardening. We talked while we worked- well, mostly I did, telling Chase what to do since he didn't know much when it came to garden work.

"Where do I put this Molly?" I glanced at him, only to see Chase holding up a bright green weed. I giggled, for Chase was making a weird face at the plant.

"What's so funny?" He asked, a mildly grumpy expression now directed at me.

"You! You made this funny face at the plant, like you had a personal vendetta against it or something," I explained, mimicking the odd expression. He chuckled a little, a smirk on his handsome face.

"Huh, guess I see why you were laughing like a maniac now," he said.

"Hey! I wasn't laughing like a maniac!"

"If you say so... now anyway, where do I put this?" I pointed him towards several different colored bins by the side of my house.

"Put it in the bright yellow bin." He did so.

"What are those Molly?" He questioned inquisitively.

"Compost bins! The different colors stand for different grades of compost- The bright yellow bin is for compost made of weeds I find in my garden, the blue one is for the leftovers of consumed crops, like apple cores and potato peels, and the orange one is for things like wood chips and grass clippings!" I explained, pointing at each plastic bin as I told about it's individual contents.

"I see... how come you have different things in different bins? Why not one big bin?"

"So I can sell the better compost for more money. You see, if I just compost them altogether then I would have pretty average compost. By separating the ingredients, I have different grades. The higher the grade, the better the soil, which means better crops. Follow me?"

"I get it," he said. "Clever." We worked in silence a little for a bit of time after that, listening to nature's song.

"Hey Chase?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your favorite flower? And please don't answer with orange blossoms," I said, adding the last part because it seemed like an answer he'd give.

"I do like orange blossoms... but they actually aren't my favorite flower. Honestly, flowers aren't really something I like a lot, but if I had to pick... I'd choose Pinkcat flowers."

"Pinkcat flowers?"

"Yeah. They're nice and simple, but the bright color is great. They smell good too."

"Hmmm... never would have seen you as a Pinkcat type of guy," I said, half thinking out loud.

"Why not?"

"I don't mean that in a b-bad way!" I said, trying not to offend Chase. "You just seemed like the type of guy who wouldn't like girly pink flowers... I pictured you as a Green Bell guy I guess..."

"Hmph. Thanks, I guess?"

"It's a good thing... the flowers a person likes reflects their true personality... especially since each type of flower has a meaning behind it."

"Alright then, Flower Queen, what does liking Pinkcats say about me?" Chase asked, skepticism in his voice.

"Promise not to shoot me if I manage to nail you just by knowing your favorite flower?" He rolled his plum colored eyes, still doubting I could do that much just by knowing that little bit of information.

"Yeah yeah, pinky promise," he said sarcastically.

"Okay... well, for starters, Pinkcats aren't a common flower for males to like, which means you're a unique person on the inside. They also tend to attract people with hearts of gold buried underneath a misleading personality. People who enjoy Pinkcats are real sweethearts, even if some of them don't like to admit it," I said, spewing the knowledge out of me like a geyser erupting from an encyclopedia.

"Erm.."

"Oh! I'm sorry- I kind of get caught up when I talk about flowers, especially their meanings... I hope I didn't freak you out."

"No, not really... the whole robot act did, but I'm sure I sound like that when I talk about cooking. I can't say if you nailed me or not- those aren't qualities you can decide you have or not huh? Now, if you said sarcastic..." I rolled my eyes at him, smiling.

"I think it's all true..." I said softly.

"What was that Molly?"

"N-Nothing! Can you tell me more about cooking? I'd like to hear you talk about it..."

"I guess, if you like listening to me go on about nonsense..." he said, acting like he didn't care if I wanted to hear or not. But in his eyes, I saw an ecstatic gleam come into place. _People must not like listening to him talk about cooking much..._ I thought sadly.

Chase proceeded to babble about anything and everything culinary while we finished work. I responded back occasionally, since I enjoyed cooking myself. Chase was very, _very _enthusiastic about what he did. He had four to seven minute rambles on everything from how to properly bake a pie to how he hated when people served decent food for dinner.

"If you're going to feed your family, feed them well, you know? I mean, don't people want the best for their loved ones?"

"I agree completely... I hope one day to have a huge family, and I want to cook for them everyday..." I said, trailing off.

"R-Really? Same here..." Chase said, clearing his throat while trying to choke out the first word.

"You want to have a big family someday too, Chase?"

"Yeah... actually." I smiled at this piece of information. _We want the same type of family huh?_

"Looks like we're done in the garden for today," I declared. The flowerbed was pruned and tidy- no weeds in sight, all the flowers watered. We finished with plenty of time to spare- it was only about 8:24.

"So what now Molly?"

"That's Boss to you," I stated seriously, but winking to show I was joking. He blushed a little, and my expression became sheepish. _Didn't expect him to blush. Whoops... sorry Chase!_

"Yes ma'am... _Boss,_" he said, correcting himself as a counter to my playful attitude. For some reason, being around him made me less shy- normally I didn't open up this much. But something about Chase... encouraged me to be more fun and lively. Maybe it was because I didn't worry as much what he'd think as I did with others- his I-don't-give-a-Harvest-Sprite attitude for how others received him to be made it easier to be less shy.

"Anyway, now we need to prepare the shop to be opened and once that's done, you have to deliver some things for me..." I led the way into my cozy abode, where Chase and I cleaned up the front room- my flower shop. Honestly, it had to be my favorite room. The walls were a lovely peach color that complimented the beige wooden floor nicely. I had rows of pastel yellow shelves cluttered with products- different colored honey, various hues of perfume, assorted flowers and bouquets. A counter where people could place orders on a sheet of paper and that my little apple red cash box was stashed in a drawer was painted a pretty white that matched the window panels and the lacy curtains framing them.

For awhile, we tidied the place up in silence. I swept the floor and dusted while Chase cleaned the windows. It didn't take very long, but we ended up only having 5 minutes till 9- opening time.

"...and just to recap, you take these boxes and deliver them to the people on the list. The boxes are labeled with who to deliver them to, so you don't need to worry about accidentally giving someone the wrong items..." I said.

"Yeah yeah, I get it Molly."

"Just making sure, Chase." He started heading out the door, pushing a dollie full of bright colored boxes.

"Oh, uh... and Chase?" I said hesitantly.

"What?"

"... Thanks again. For helping me today. I appreciate it... more than you know."

"... No problem. Just remember, you owe me for this," he said jokingly, and continued on his way out. I smiled to myself, and flipped my "Open/Closed" sign to the "Open" side.

The rest of the day pasted uneventfully, with Chase returning every now and then to pick up more orders to deliver. A customer popped in every now and then, giving me plenty of time to practice my flower arranging skills. At 4 P.M I closed shop, only to find myself cleaning up with Chase again.

"So that's how your days usually go, huh?" he asked, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow- he had spent all day lugging boxes all over town in the sun, which was gradually getting warmer and warmer. He currently sat in a chair, taking a break, while I washed my flower arranging bench.

"Yes, usually. I don't usually have so much to deliver though!" I exclaimed, causing Chase to chuckle. It was surprising- I mean, I wasn't complaining, but I couldn't help but wonder why I had so many orders suddenly..

"You do realize I was serious about what I said earlier, right?" he inquired.

"What? About which thing you said...?"

"The one about you owing me," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Y-You're serious? But you volunteered to help..."

"So? Look, I don't want much- just another day with you." I blushed.

"O-Oh... I'm okay with that." _Okay? I'm ecstatic about that!_

"Good, cause I'm not giving you a choice," he said, half-joking half-serious.

"What day do you want?"

"Tomorrow."

"I'm fine with t-tomorrow..." I squeaked quietly. He smiled at me- not a smirk, a real smile.

"Great. I'll see you tonight then, alright? I would walk you to work, but I have some... things.. I need to do before work today." I nodded, saddened not only by the fact we wouldn't be able to walk together but because today was my last day at the bar- starting Monday I was to work at Meringue Clinic.

"Wait! Before you go, I have something for you," I said, going to one of my shelves and plucking a jar of honey out.

"For you!"

"Don't I need to pay for it...?"

"Oh, Goddess no! After all the help you gave me today...? You take this. I hope whatever recipe you use it in tastes delicious..." He grinned, and accepted the honey from me.

"Goodbye Molly. See you tonight..." He hugged me close to him, and I inhaled his fresh scent.

"Bye Chase... til tonight then."

~~~~~Later~~~~~

I entered the bar, only to find it completely pitch black.

"Hello? Anyone in here...?" A pair of cold hands covered my eyes, darkening the room even more- if that was possible.

"Shush! Guess who!"

"Kathy? What're you-"

"SURPRISE!" a calliope of voices yelled. The hands moved away, and I found myself in the middle of a crowded room filled with everyone who worked or came to the bar regularly.

"Oh my... what is this?" I asked, astonished.

"Your surprise end-of-volunteering-here party! It was Chase's idea," Kathy explained, pointing at the sarcastic chef. Chase looked over at me and grinned, casually and absentmindedly frosting a beautiful shortcake- my favorite- with pearly white icing. I blushed. _I wish he would smile like that more often... it's breathtaking._

"Go talk to him girly! But don't waste all night talking to him! We've got a party going on here!" My beautiful blonde friend nudged me over toward the messy apricot haired chef, and I walked over to him on shaking legs.

"Thank you... this was very sweet of you Chase."

"C'mon Molly, it's not like I got the whole town to come. These people come every night anyway... but you're welcome," he said, trying to dismiss any notion of him being "sweet".

"My flower analysis was right you know," I stated, slightly smug.

"What?" Chase pointed a confused look at me.

"Remember earlier? People who like Pinkcats are sweethearts, on the inside," I said, poking his chest, right where his heart was. His face responded by turning a strawberry red that matched the one on top of the cake he made for me.

"W-What? That's a total lie... I-"

"Whatever you say, Chase," I sighed. "But honestly... I like both sides of you..." I finished the sentence off shyly. We both stood there blushing. Before either of us could say anything else, a certain sunshine haired waitress dragged me from the counter to dance around the dark wood tables of the Sundae Inn. I glanced at Chase every couple of minutes, and as I danced I felt his eyes watching me. I felt very embarrassed, considering I wasn't the best dancer ever- especially when I was nervous like right now. During some of the slow songs Kathy would pull Chase from his spot inside the kitchen and make us dance- or rather sway awkwardly- together. We both were tomato red when that happened, but I felt comfortable in his arms.

All in all, it was a fantastic night.

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><p><strong>Did everyone like the chapter? :D? I hope so! It was kind of a filler, since there wasn't much plot in this one. However, I like writing these cute chapters and they're great for showing how far along the bonding process is going. They also help me keep you guys updated on the dates in the story- this chapter took place on Spring 14th, the day after the Animal Parade Flower Festival! Yay! :D Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon! Til next time!<strong>

**~Momoka Ribbon :)  
><strong>


	12. Author Note

**Author's Memo**

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Recently I've been having a lot of real life things to deal with, so I haven't had much time for my stories. Trust me, they're never far from my mind. I just haven't had time. I plan on updating them all as soon as possible, but I don't know when that will be. You've all been very kind in your reviews and your criticism has helped me see my weak points. I had suspicions that all these problems where there but actually knowing what you all think helps a lot. As soon as I get time to type more chapters you can bet I'll also be working on fixing the problems, mainly the characters that are OOC. I try my best, but you know. There's always room for improvement! :D Thank you all for being patient and waiting, I'll try and get something out very soon. I love all of you! :D**

**~Momoka Ribbon~ **


	13. Well, THAT was Unexpected

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Like I said in the author's note I posted a little while ago, I've been very busy lately and I had to deal with some life stuff awhile back. :/ However, things have died down and I've finally found time to write again! Yay! :) I've also recently gotten Animal Parade for my birthday, so I've been playing that like crazy. It's really helped me see different aspects of the characters not that weren't included in ToT. I'm loving the new characters too. :) Needless to say, Animal Parade has motivated me to write more and has given me more story ideas! :D In fact, pretty soon I plan on starting three new stories that takes place on Castanet (well, two of them do.)! :) I'm very excited about them. I think they're different from what others have written- least I think so, since I haven't seen any stories with a similar role for the main character, or similar plot. But, I'm sure that out there, there are some stories similar to them. :p It's just the joy of fanfiction. As soon as I plan them a little more I'll get to work on them. ****Anyway, till then, enjoy a new chapter of LDaUT! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

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><p>Angela's P.O.V<p>

_Ring-ring!~Ring-ring!~ _my phone called from across the room. I dashed clumsily to answer it, since before it rang I was in the kitchen making myself some breakfast. It was the day after the Flower Festival, Spring 15th. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before- no surprise there. I had been too flustered from my date with Luke to sleep... I still had butterflies!

"Hello?" I asked, answering the phone groggily.

"OH MY GODDESS ANGIE YOU WON'T _BELIEVE_ WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT!" a very excited Luna squealed. Her voice so loud I had to hold the phone at an arm's length just so my hearing wouldn't be lost.

"Luna, can you please be a bit quieter? You're gonna blast my eardrums off," I said.

"Oopsies! Sorry Ang, I didn't mean to damage your hearing heehee!" Anyway, you'll just _die_ once you hear what happened last night! Gill proposed!"

"Wait, really? Luna, that's fantastic!" I said as I poured myself a cup of dark black coffee. The aroma wafted through the house, waking me up some. I carried my breakfast- the hot coffee and a plain omelet- to my dining table as Luna went on about the details.

"I know! I've been waiting since our 5 year anniversary _last year_ for him to pop the question! But oh Angie, it was so romantic! See, he kept me after to help him clean up the festival grounds, and once his father went home he..." I listened to Luna as I ate, adding the occasional "_Mmm-hmm?" _or "_Really? How sweet!"_ or even "_Go on!"_ so she knew I was listening. Everything she told me about was very sweet indeed, but soon I received another call.

"Oh, um, Luna? I've got a call coming in from the other line, is it alright if I call you back tonight?" I asked.

"Sure!~ Just remember, since I've got a ton of plans to talk to you about since you're part of the bridal party! Tood-a-loo!" I chuckled lightly internally at Luna's silly goodbye as I switched over to the other line.

"Hello? Angie speaking."

"Hey Angie! Good morning!"

"Oh! Good morning Luke!" I exclaimed, greeting the carpenter bashfully.

"Heh! I was wondering, Angie, if maybe you wanted to do something together today?" I could tell he was nervous- his voice took on a shy quality that only made the invite sweeter.

"I would love that Luke! I just need to do my farm work for the day and then I'm free!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"ALRIGHT! EXTREME! Heh! Is noon underneath Alan's Tree good for you?"

"Yep! I'll see you then Luke!" I hung up the phone, and now that I was completely awake, I danced (since I was incredibly happy about my date today) around the house getting ready for the day. I hummed every now and then as I put my dishes in the sink and dressed, and skipped outside to care for my ranch.

Later, after all my farm work was done, I headed over to Alan's Tree to meet Luke. I whistled to myself as I walked, enjoying the bright sunshine of the day. The overall cheeriness of my surroundings was contagious, and it intensified my cheery attitude. Soon I was underneath the shade of Alan's Tree, waiting for Luke. It was 11:50- he would be here any moment now...

"Angie! Hey!" I heard Luke yell, and turned to see him climbing up the hill. He was smiling as wide as ever, with his usual energetic fire in his eyes. I was surprised to see him carrying a picnic basket- Luke never told me what we were doing today, but a picnic never came to mind.

"Hi Luke! So we're having a picnic, huh?" He nodded, smoothing the wrinkles from his fiery bandana with his free hand.

"Yup! When I looked outside this morning, I knew it was a perfect day to have a picnic! And I wanted to enjoy one with you!" He exclaimed. He was right- today _was_ the perfect day for a picnic. The sun was shining brightly, fluffy clouds rolled lazily across the sky, and the lightest breeze tickled the surface of all exposed to it. The whole picture was completely and utterly perfect.

"You're so right! Anyway, let's enjoy this day together!" I said with a smile. We spread out the blanket, and after we sat down, Luke took out the food he had brought for the date- handmade riceballs, bread, boiled spinach, berry jam, and herbal tea.

"Wow! That's A LOT of food for lunchtime Luke!" I exclaimed.

"Heh, yeah... I wasn't completely sure what you liked, so I brought a variety of things! I hope you don't mind!"

"Of course not! I'd rather be stuffed than starving!" I stated simply. Luke laughed, and we dug into the food.

"Mmmm! This is delicious Luke!" I exclaimed through a mouthful of riceball.

"Thanks! My mom taught me how to make them, a long time ago.. " he said, trailing off with a subdued tone.

"Luke? You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, sometimes I get really down when I think about my ma... I always try to be happy though, since I know she never liked it when I was sad." I was in mild shock- I had never seen Luke so serious! He had a sad look in his eyes, but a faint smile still played on his face- a sad one as well, but it was still there.

"Luke... did your mom... pass away?" He nodded.

"Oh... I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. Not your fault Angie! I just really miss her sometimes, ya know? It was a long time ago anyway- back when I was only 3. I always keep Ma in my heart though- she really meant a lot to me... I visit her grave sometimes, to leave offerings for her. Maybe you'd like to come with and meet her someday?"

"I'd love to Luke... I'm sure she was- and still is- a wonderful woman..."

"Yeah..." a silence swelled up in our conversation, leaving us to nibble aimlessly at our food.

"Luke... I know how it feels, to loose someone close to you..." I said, breaching the quiet.

"Oh, you have? Angie.. I'm so sorry. I should've thought before I said anything about Ma- I'm not the only person out there who's lost a loved one, after all. Who did you loose?"

"It's fine Luke. I'm glad you told me about your mom too- I'd feel terrible if I learned later in the future about her passing, but had said something before that would've been inconsiderate to you regarding her... so don't feel bad. I lost my father back when I was 11 years old.. my mom took it really hard. I can tell it still hurts just as much for her, but she was strong enough to pull through and keep caring for my siblings and I. Kevin was only 16 then, but he ended having to take over the father role for Molly and I... it's kind of the reason why he's so protective all the time.. it's a habit for him now."

Instead of saying anything, Luke just reached over and hugged me. I hugged him back, closed my eyes, and just sat there. I just focused on the moment- Luke's scent of pine and maple syrup, his warm leather vest that had soaked up the sun's heat, the bright colors of the beautiful scenery around me- instead of remembering... after all, who can be happy when all they do is remember the past? Happiness is found in the present... and I knew Dad would want me to be happy. Just like Luke's mom would want him to be happy.

Unfortunately, some unknown force must have wanted us to _not_ be happy, for at that exact moment, a beehive fell nearby from the tree!

"Uh... Luke. Bees."

"Run! RUUUUUUUUN!" We darted off the hill like madmen, leaving behind all our food, the blanket, and the picnic basket. Some bees went straight for the food, while a third or half of the bees kept pursuing us. Apparently they thought _we_ disturbed them! We ran like the the wind- I couldn't even feel my feet touching the ground- accelerating with every step.

"Go for the lake! The lake!" Luke yelled at me as we ran, side by side. I nodded. We kept running until we reached Maple Lake District.

"JUMP!" Luke shouted as we approached the water.

"WHAT? YOU WANNA JUMP?"

"JUST DO IT!" I trusted him, and once close enough, we hurled ourselves at the still turquoise water. We broke the surface with a huge splash, and floated to the depths of the lake. I swam blindly to the surface, and gasped for air once oxygen was once again in my reach. I opened my eyes, and searched the pond for Luke. He surfaced near me, coughing water up, lungs heaving for breaths of air. I started to giggle, which led into a crazy loud laugh.

"Wha... what's so funny?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"You... You have... a lily pad on your head! HAHAAHAAHAHAHAAH!" I sputtered between titters. He looked up, yellow eyes searching, and pulled the sopping wet greenery from his head. He started to laugh loudly as well, a bright hearty guffaw. It must have been quite a sight- me with tears running down my face from all the giggles, hair slick with water, clothes clinging to my beige skin. Luke chucking hard as well, fire bandana askew, laying crooked on his head, bright shiny teeth all in view. Eventually we swam to shore, and sat there drying ourselves in the friendly rays of sunshine.

"Glad you trusted me now?" Luke asked with a devilish grin. I chuckled, and nodded.

"Y'know, I'm still surprised that worked!"

"An old carpenter's trick! Pa taught it to me and Bo when we were starting out. 'If you ever run into some bees while gathering lumber, head straight for a body of water and jump in.'" Luke said, imitating his father Dale's voice and persona- finger mustache included. It made me giggle.

"That's really clever! I'll remember that next time I'm getting material for an upgrade!" I exclaimed. Like grinned, and put on his now dry bandana. After a few minutes of silence he spoke.

"...Well this certainly wasn't what I pictured for today, but it sure was fun huh?" I looked over at him to see an even wider smile, and I let my lips spread into one myself.

"Yeah... can't say I'll ever be forgetting this! Thank you for the... er... eventful day, Luke."

"No problem! Thanks for coming when I invited ya!" We sat there on the lake, feet dipped in the cool water, for awhile, until he finally walked me home at sunset.

Selena's P.O.V.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed, fists clenched along with my jaw. I was furious- I had tried sabotaging their _date_ and all I got in reward was a few bee stings. I had sat in that stupid tree for an hour, waiting for them to arrive and watching them being so _"cutesy"_ with each other!

"UGHHHHH! _'Oh Luke, your food is so good! Tee-hee!~' 'Luke, my daddy died when I was little! We have something in common, don't you feel like you've connected with me now?'_ UGHHHHHHHH!" I mimicked, then shrieked again, fuming with my fury. If steam could come out of my ears, and train noises were possible to utter, I would look exactly like an old cartoon. I was completely and totally _pissed_. Who did she think she was, waltzing into everyone's lives just like that? Especially mine. I almost had Luke in my grasp before _she_ showed up! Taking the man that was rightfully mine! I mean after all, he _did_ compliment me on my dancing once and agreed to buy me a Lily at the Flower Festival! We were practically official! And she just _had_ to come, the day before I made my move! He was _supposed_ to be with me!

He would be though. I would just have to try a little harder.

And I had the perfect plan.

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><p><strong>And there's Chapter 11! :D I'm sorry it took so long to update- I'm going to try to update more frequently now, so feel free to PM me nagging if I slack off. :p I hope you all liked the little back stories and fluff I tried to add in there, as well as Selena's drama and plotting. <strong>

**Anyway, until next chapter!**

**~Momoka Ribbon**


	14. Happy Birthday Molly

**Hey guys! I haven't been updating as frequently as I hoped I would with this... sorry bout that! I've been busy with school, and I'm trying to balance four stories at once, while also trying to plan some more new ones and get further in my HM games so I can enhance my writing and I also want to go back and edit some chapters... but I digress. (I think that was just a mega run-on sentence.. sorry :P) Anyway, sorry bout the wait, and here's Chapter 12! (Yes, I know the counting is weird- I count the two Flower Festival chapters as two halves of one chapter, and my author note doesn't count in my book.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

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><p>Molly's P.O.V.<p>

_Sunday, Spring 15th_

_Dear Diary,  
><em>

_Well, I can't say I've ever written in one of these before but I thought it might be a good idea to start up a journal. I need something where I can express my true feelings, completely and entirely, without any censors.  
><em>

_I used to confide in Angela, but I don't see her as much since we live in different houses now, and also this volunteer service is taking up a lot of our free time...  
><em>

_Tuesday I start work at the Clinic. I hope it's not too bad... I know it won't be as fun as working with Chase and Kathy, but it can't be too bad, right?  
><em>

_Stay optimistic Molly. Optimistic.  
><em>

_Speaking of Chase, today we had another kind-of date (I'm not exactly sure if they're dates, since we never call them that). I got to see his house today. It's a lovely place. He made us lunch and we lounged around outside. He showed me a beautiful view he likes to look at on his days off- you can see it when you're in the far northwest corner of the Maple Lake District, past that fisherman's- I think his name was Tommy?- house. It's gorgeous- a wide horizon of blue-green sea, the light sky, and the greenery adorning the image here and there. Chase said it's more beautiful at sunrise than sunset, but it'd be a little more difficult for him to show me the sunrise...  
><em>

_I must say, I'm really confused on my relationship with Chase. Are we dating? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Or are we simply flirtatious friends..? I have no clue. We've gone to a romantic festival together, and have had kind of dates... but yet he hasn't made anything official yet. Maybe he doesn't like me enough to be official... what am I saying? I'm taking this too seriously- I've known the guy for two weeks! So what if we're not official... it might not even be like that. Sigh, I'm so confused...  
><em>

_Apparently one of the girls from the Tailor Shop Angie is good friends with is engaged to the mayor's son. I hope they're very happy together- they'll have beautiful children.  
><em>

_That woman who always buys my perfumes stopped by again today. Apparently her name's Selena- pretty name- and she's the dancer at the bar. I can't believe I never noticed... two weeks of working there and I never knew there was a dancer! Anyway, while she was buying her usual assortment of fragrances today she invited me to a party she's throwing. She said, quote, "Oh, did I mention I'm throwing a party sometime? Yes, I am! I'm taking a select few- and their choice of one guest each- on an over-night trip to my home island! It's going to be a lot of fun! And it's free!~" I'm not sure if I want to go or not. I don't really know the woman, after all. But it would be nice to see an exotic place... and I'm sure Angela would like to go.  
><em>

_My birthday is this Wednesday. I'll be 23. My, how time flies... Chase's birthday is coming up as well. Next Monday. He'll be 24. I invited him to come spend the day with me and my family. I invited Kathy too, and she's bringing her boyfriend Owen. I hope Kevin doesn't freak...  
><em>

_Anyway, I better go now. I should give you a name Diary.. it's odd calling you that. It'll have to be a name I don't have a face to place with it though... I'll think of something.  
><em>

_Love, Molly_

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><p>"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLY!" Angela squealed, bursting into my home with a giant present and some balloons. It was one of those seemingly perfect days- wonderful breeze, smiling sun, the whole nine yards. It was like a birthday present to me from the Harvest Goddess. If the weather was any indication, today would be fantastic.<p>

The rest of my guests shuffled inside, which included Kevin, Emi, and Maya. Kathy, Chase, and Owen were to arrive later. Food was laid out on my tablecloth, and more refreshments resided on my counter. Presents gathered themselves in a cluster by the couch, and various decorative objects were placed with no real rhyme or reason. Laughter swelled in the room, conversation a constant presence, and gradually more people arrived till only one person remained- Chase.

"Where is that good-for-nothing chef?" Angela said, irked. It was 6:27 P.M., and he still hadn't came. He supposed to arrive at 6:00 P.M.

"Angie, be nice," I told her gently. I knew he'd come- he had to, right?

"Eh, whatever," she grumbled. I knew her thoughts on Chase- Angie thought he was a rude, antisocial, sarcastic, jerk. On some levels, she was right- Chase could be very unpleasant if you didn't know him very well. Heck, he could be unpleasant if you did know him! But he had a lot of good qualities, you just had to look for them. I wish she could realize that.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it!" I exclaimed, and hurried to the front door where I found Chase waiting.

"Hello, welcome! Please, come in..." I said, greeting him.

"Thanks. I brought these for you," he said, handing me a a box wrapped in a pretty floral paper with a bright orange bow.

"Oh, you didn't have to..."

"Well, it's your birthday. I'd have to be a real jerk to not bring a present," he said, dismissing the act. I guided him into the multipurpose room, where everyone waited for the final guest to arrive.

"So he came after all eh? Wonderful..." Angie said, displeased at Chase's presence. I saw Kevin sizing him up from his spot by Maya, while Kathy and Owen wore friendly smiles and Emi looked curious.

"Angie," I said warningly. "I said be nice." She sighed and nodded, mumbling something like "Fine."

"So you're Chase eh?" Kevin said. Chase rolled his eyes, as if to say _Nooo, I'm the Mayor of Mineral Town_ but nodded as he did.

"Hmph," was all Kevin said, for he was sulking now. Emi approached Chase.

"Hi there Mister! I'm Emi!" she said, throwing Chase one of her toothiest grins. Everyone in the room smiled, at least a little bit, and Chase was no exception. I saw the corner of his mouth be tugged up involuntarily.

"I'm Chase. It's nice to meet you Emi. Are you the niece Molly's been telling me about?" he asked, mischievously smirking at me. I rolled my eyes- I _did_ talk about Emi a lot.

"Uh huh! Aunt Mowwy is Daddy's sister!" she said happily, pointing at Kevin, who was still sour over Chase's appearance.

"I'm Kevin," he grunted. "And I can easily cut off your orange supply faster than you can say 'Bobby Pins' if you even _look_ at Molly sourly." My eyes went wide.

"Kevin!" I exclaimed, along with Maya, who promptly hit the back of his head to scold him. Chase was irked.

"You'd have to talk pretty fast to accomplish that in, what, two seconds?" he replied sarcastically. Kevin bristled. Luckily, Maya intervened.

"Kevin, how about you tell Owen about the ore you found the other day...?" she suggested, glancing nervously at me. I mouthed a 'thank-you', to which she grinned.

"Sorry about him- Kev's kind of over-protective."

"Kind of?" Chase replied, but I could tell in his demeanor he didn't blame me for Kevin's attitude.

The rest of the night passed by without incidents, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Angela and Kevin kept their dislike of Chase to themselves, and Emi expressed her approval of the chef in various ways, going so far as to call him "Uncle Chase", much to my brother's distaste. This of course, resulted in furious blushing from both Chase and I. It seemed like the party was going very, _very_ well.

Or so I thought.

It wasn't until the gathering was almost over when the drama started to happen.

"So when are you and Uncwe Chase gonna get married Aunt Mowwy?" Emi asked me innocently, big blue eyes curious. I nearly spat out the tea I had been drinking, and my face lit up like a fire hydrant. Chase was wide-eyed and blushing as well. _Why does the subject of marriage always come up when I'm with him?_ I asked myself silently.

"Well, I- I mean- Emi, dear that's.. erm-"

"Never, if I have anything to say about it," Kevin grumbled. Angela nodded in agreement.

"Same here... you deserve better Mols." The rest of my guests looked shocked, while Chase just looked irritated.

"Why not? I wike Uncwe Chase! He makes Aunt Mowwy happy.." Emi stated. I smiled gently at her, knowing that she was one of the only people innocent enough to understand why I liked Chase.

"You two must be really dense if you don't approve of me," Chase said, finally getting into the conversation. "Like Emi here said, _I make Molly happy_. You think two adults who've experienced the same thing would see it, especially if a child does. Or are you both just kids in grown-up bodies?" I looked incredulously at him.

"C-Chase! Don't you think that's a little bit.. rude?" I asked.

"Not nearly as rude as your siblings Molly," he replied coldly. I could see hurt in his eyes, just barely twinkling- I was supposed to back him up.

"See Molly? He's too rude for you! You're a delicate girl- any one of his words could hurt you! And his sarcasm as well- how are you supposed to be _sure _he's not being serious?" Kevin added.

"Kevin, stop it! Can't you see he makes Molly happy?" Maya cried.

Eventually the whole ordeal turned into a huge argument, swelling up in the house like a balloon full of tense air. Everyone was fighting with each other! Kathy and Owen were trying to back Maya up, while Kevin and Angie argued back. Emi sat on the couch, round baby blue eyes taking in the whole scene. I stood in shock, Chase by my side.

"Aren't you going to do anything? Or are you just going to stand by and watch _them_ decide what's right for you?" I stared blankly at him.

"I don't know..."

"Fine," Chase said angrily. "You continue being a pushover Molly. I'll just forget I ever opened up to you while you figure out if you're brave enough to stick up for yourself for once. Screw this- call me when you learn how to be a little less selfless." He stormed out of the house. I watched him go, mouth agape. I was hurt and shocked- how could he say those things to me? Tears started to well in my eyes, and words bubbled from my lips.

"EVERYONE. GET. OUT." The room went silent, and all eyes turned to me.

"Molly-" someone started. I raised my hand to stop their protest.

"I said... get out." The seriousness of my tone shook them I suppose, for everyone quickly evacuated the area. After I was sure everyone had left, I let the tears spill. They descended down my face, leaving shining trails behind them. I sat on the leather sofa, letting myself sink into it as I hid my face in my hands.

I let my feelings out slowly but surely, trickling out in spurts. I would stop letting tears flow, only to sit and look around blankly until my thoughts provoked another bout of tears.  
>The worst one had to be after I picked up the present Chase had brought, which I found lying at my feet. I undid the silky orange ribbon, tore the floral paper and lifted the lid of the box underneath.<p>

The present was a scrapbook, with completely empty flawless pages, except for the very first one. A note was written there.

_Molly,  
><em>

_Happy Birthday. I know you like these kind of things, so I got you a scrapbook. Hope you enjoy it- I did pay for it after all.  
><em>

_-Chase  
><em>

There were so little words, yet it was enough to release a fresh onslaught of misery. I knew Chase had shrugged the present off in his note as no big deal, but I knew him better. The present showed he truly cared for me, listened to me...

And I had practically thrown it that away.

I cried my heart out that night, with one message bouncing through my head:

_Happy Birthday to you, Molly..._

* * *

><p><strong>How did you all like it? I know it took forever for me to update, but I was having writer's block. I keep getting that lately D: But have no fear! I swear I WILL finish all my stories! This one is number one on my priority list as well!<br>**

**I hope you don't mind the depressing nature of this chapter as well. Sucks to be Molly huh? But we needed some drama, so I put it in there,  
><strong>

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and please review if you like!  
><strong>

**They remind me I need to work on a story, heh. :p  
><strong>

**~Momoka Ribbon  
><strong>


	15. Apologies?

**Hellooooooo readers! Welcome back to Chapter 13 of LDaUT! (Oh yes, using my acronym a lot more than I should because I'm lazy :p) I'm terribly sorry I haven't been updating really anything these days. I'm on summer vacation right now, so I've been a little more enthralled with other pastimes.. sorry -sheepish grin- And boy, did I miss a lot! I log on only to find this new weird layout of the site and to learn that we can have STORY COVERS now? O.O I honestly can't say I've had the desire to let my stories have covers but now they're gonna be lonely without 'em... so that's more work for me. :P But I digress... Anyway, I'll get to the chapter now, since that's a lot more important.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

><p>Angela's P.O.V<p>

"Ugh... Luke... I feel so BAD about what happened!" I groaned, the sound of my lamenting muffled by my arm. I was at the Carpenter's recounting yesterday's events to the bluette. I sat at the dining table in the back room, Luke seated across from me. My head lay on the surface, head buried in my arm like a bad child ordered to put their head on their desk as a punishment. My other limb sat upon the tabletop as well, hand curled in a loose fist.

"Angie... I'm real sorry that happened. I wish I had been there to help!"

"It's just... I feel like a horrible sister, y'know? I just was looking out for Mols... it's not my fault that _Chase _gets on my nerves! He just... ugh, I dunno, Luke... he seems like he doesn't like _anything_. He's such a sourpuss! And Molly's so sweet! I just feel like she'll get hurt..."

"Y'know, I think that inside your sister knows that Ang!" Luke replied.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! You've always been a good sister to her haven't ya?"

"Well... I think so..."

"So she probably knows you just wanted to protect her! Everyone on the island knows Chase can be a grump... but you said yourself Molly's great at recognizing who's good and who's not riiight?"

"Uh... yeah but-"

"So maybe you should just tell her you meant well! Pa always told me apologies always work when your intentions were good! It's never failed me!" he said, throwing me a cheeky grin.

"You're right Luke... I really need to apologize to Mols. I'll try to tolerate Chase too... if I didn't ruin things for her. Oh Goddess, I'm gonna have to apologize to _him _too, aren't I?" Luke's eyes gained a mischievous glint, and his grin changed to reflect that.

"Yup. Chase really isn't too bad once you get to know him... even if he is still a bit grouchy," Luke replied impishly, his face still taunting. I chuckled a little to myself.

"If you say so! Anyway, I gotta get to apologizing to Mols... and _Chase_." I stuck my tongue out after saying his name. "I'll have to get Kevin to apologize too, if Maya hasn't beaten me to it... I'll call you later, okay Luke?"

"Alright! And don't worry- everything will be A-Okay!" he replied, giving me a thumbs up, the perpetual smile on his face that was oh-so contagious. I grinned back, in spite of my worries, and gave him a big hug. He hugged me back, warming my heart with his gesture. As soon as we broke away I started on my way to Kevin's, my thoughts mixed jumble of worries and sunshiny happiness.

Luke just had a way of making everything bad melt away while he was around. He was like a bright happy summer day that made my spirit feel light and airy, peaceful and content. Nobody else could do that. And somewhere, deep inside, I knew Chase was the person who could do that for Molly. He was her person, her person who could make all the bad things seem insignificant, even if they were giant hulking storms about to shake the balance of her life so hard it'd be in ruins.

And I would never forgive myself if I had taken that away from her.

I would fix the mess I made, even if it meant letting that dog Chase take care of my loving older sister...

* * *

><p>*Later, at Kevin's house...*<p>

"Kevin, you HAVE to come with me!" I pleaded, trying to drag my older brother out his front door and down the pathways to fix what we had done.

"I already told you, Angie, I'm not apologizing for being an older brother! Especially to that kitchen rat Chase!" He scowled.

"I've tried getting him to go since yesterday after Molly kicked us out, but he just won't give in," Maya sighed. She stood behind her husband, preventing him from fleeing away from the doorway. Emi stood on the porch with me, trying to pull her daddy out of the doorway.

"Daddy, Mama says you shouwd awways apowogize when you do something bad!" She said, reprimanding him. Any other time I would've been amused thoroughly by the scene, but right now I was just too focused on getting my stubborn mule for a brother _out _of that house and _apologizing _to the victims of our thoughtlessness.

"Kevin, _please _come with me? Molly will never forgive you if you don't admit you were wrong!" I exclaimed, though we both knew the latter part was a lie. As much as we both loved her, we both _also _knew that she was quite the pushover... most of the time.

He raised one chocolate brow at me. I gave him a sheepish look, then quickly switched to the puppy eyes. _He was **always** a sucker for this when I was_ _little!_I thought to myself.

Finally, with a sigh, Kevin was out the door (which was promptly shut by a pleased Maya holding Emi in her arms, and who didn't fail to whisper "Angie, don't let him come home if he doesn't apologize!" loud enough for her disgruntled hubby to hear.) and down the road to Molly's, stomping the whole way there.

* * *

><p>"... so in conclusion we're both sorry!" I exclaimed, out of breath.<br>"Please forgive us?"

Kevin and I stood in front of Molly outside of her shop, letting the currently cooling twilight air wash over us as dusk fell. We got to our sister's during the late afternoon, and it had taken an hour or so to get everything completely and totally off _both_of our chests.

Now we stood across from a very miserable Molly, whose tawny eyes were sad and gloomy, and whose arms were holding her sides, as if she would fall to pieces if she let go. She bit her lip, conflicted emotions raging in the eyes that looked so heartbroken it hurt to look at them. _This is exactly why I didn't want her dating Chase. I knew it would hurt her somehow! ... Only I didn't think **I'd **be the one to make sensitive frail Molly hurt... _I thought sadly. I could see in my sister's eyes that she was torn- she wanted desperately to forgive us, to hug us till we were bruised and we let her cry a waterfall of tears into our shirts. She wanted to tell us how hurt she felt, how utterly doleful the situation we put her in was. She wanted to reject our apologizes and throw us off her property, making us feel guilty with her words of anger and blame.

In the end, she chose to forgive us.

"It's fine... it's not your fault everything happened. I accept your apologies though... even if it doesn't change what happened with Chase and I, it's nice to know I have you guys here..."

"But the thing is, it _was _our fault! If Kevin and I hadn't been such jerks, then you and Chase would be perfectly happy right now like Luke and I!" I said desperately. I wanted her to feel like I was a horrible person, like I ruined something incredibly special! I'd rather have her deserved hate than undeserved clemency.

"No... it really wasn't," she replied sadly. "It was mine. If I hadn't been such a pushover.. if I hadn't been so scared of what you both might do if I stood up for Chase... then... maybe-" her words were cut off by the lump in her throat, the remorse building in her, the self-reproach making tears spring to her eyes, threatening to spill onto her smooth cream skin.

"Molly... shuuuu, everything will be okay, I promise," I cooed, hugging my older sister in a tight embrace, rubbing her back to soothe her and the guilt she harbored. She buried her head of auburn hair in my shoulder, desperately trying to hold back the salty tears that were starting to leak. Kevin soon pulled us both into a big bear hug, expression stoic as if he _weren't_comforting a crying girl and a guilt ridden one.

We stayed like that till Molly pulled away, and once we were _sure_ she was stable, we headed over to the bustling bar where the aroma of Chase's sweet, sweet cooking mixed the the smell of various alcohols. (Hey, I may pretty much hate the guy, but even _I _have to admit that his cooking is the best thing to ever grace my taste buds.)

"Excuse us Hayden, but is there a chance we could talk to that chef of yours?" Kevin asked, strolling right up to the surly looking bartender.

"Sure, go right ahead. He's in the back," he replied, gesturing with his thumb to the kitchen space behind him. Kevin and I went around the long counter and straight into the chef's domain.

"What is it now Kath- oh. It's you two," he said, at first exasperated and then with a frown.

"Uh... yeah. It's us," I replied, trying to rein in my emotions. _He's just a grumpy pessimist, don't let him get to you, he wants you to be mad, think of Molly, think of Molly..._

"Well, what do you want? I'm busy." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the floor as if to make a point. I bristled inwardly, but managed not to scowl. Kevin, however, gave the peach haired grouch a menacing look.

"Uh, yeah, sorry to bug you..." _Not really..._"... we wanted to come apologize."

My words gained me a raised brow, a skeptical look and two words. "I'm listening."

"We, uh... we're really sorry for what happened yesterday-" I started, jabbing Kev in the ribs with my elbow so he put in his "Uh, yeah, real sorry..." and then continuing with "- and what happened because of it. We didn't mean to ruin anything between you and Molly. We didn't mean to offend you either- I know it may _seem_ like we didn't care if we did but we were just looking out for Molly! We thought you would be a bad guy for her... but I think we were wrong about that. But I _do_know that we were wrong to judge you without knowing you, and trying to break you and Mols up was waaaaaaay out of our rights. I hope our stupidity doesn't affect your feelings for Molly... she really misses you."

Chase just looked at us, the same old skeptical look on his face... when he started chuckling. And not an "Oh-ha-ha-ha that's so funny" chuckle, but a bitter one, the ones you use when something's ironic or when it seems like the universe is mocking you.

"What's so funny?" Kevin asked gruffly.

"Nothing's funny... it's just nice to hear you admit how idiotic you both are." To that Kevin, and I both frowned, but nothing more since we didn't want to blow anything.

"I guess I'll accept your apology... but only because you two morons are the only people to make me laugh all day, even if it is a bit ironic or not." Kev and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"However-"

"However what?" I asked, cutting him off. His eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Oops, sorry. Go on," I said sheepishly.

"_However_, I can't say I'll patching up anything with Molly anytime soon."

"Wait... WHAT?" I gaped at him, while Kevin looked as if he would murder Chase on the spot.

"You heard me."

"But... why?" Chase just shook his head at us.

"Listen, it's not that I don't like Molly anymore. I do. But she was at fault just as much as you two bozos. Once I get an apology from her, I'll be plenty willing to patch things up."

All I could do was stare at him. Well, that and block Kevin so he couldn't pummel the crap outta him. Chase just shrugged and returned to his cooking, while Kevin struggled behind me. Once I snapped out of it, I just slowly shook my head.

"Kev... we did what we could. Beating him up won't fix anything," I whispered.

"Maybe not, but it'll make _me _feel a helluva lot better!" he growled.

"You can't beat the asshole out of someone Kevin... c'mon. Maya's waiting for you at home."

With that, Kevin and I left the bar, and went back to our respective homes.

* * *

><p>Molly's P.O.V.<p>

"Well...? How did it go?" I asked softly, my curiosity clear in my voice.

"Um... not too well Mols..." My heart fell a little.

"What do you mean?"

"He accepted our apologies... but he wants one from you."

My eyes fell to my shoes, not that Angie would know from over the phone.

"I see..."

"Listen Mols, you deserve better than some ass who-"

"I guess I better get to work on my apology then, huh?"

Even through the telephone wires I could feel her dumbfounded gaze.

* * *

><p><strong>And there's chapter 13 guys! The chapter that took three weeks to start, and two to write...<br>Well, technically I wrote this in a night. But I started it two weeks ago with the author's note and a sentence or two but that was it. But whatever! Maybe now I'll get back into the swing of things! Cause I swear I will finish all of my stories even if they're the only things I ever publish on this site! D: I am determined!**

**But if anyone out there is worried I'm serious about the only things publish on this site thing, don't worry xD While I am not starting anything new till I finish my current works (except maybe some oneshots here and there I may release) I have too many fanfic ideas for me to not publish any more!**

**Anyway, if you enjoy the story I encourage you to subscribe! :D Even if the plot is a bit dramatic right now, I swear it'll be funnier later on... but right now I have a plot event I wanna cover :p**

**Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, favoriting, subscribing, etc.! Without you I probably wouldn't keep going :) You all write the sweetest things, and the most helpful things when I need em too! Thank you so much!**

**~Momoka Ribbon**


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